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noun Soap n. A substance which dissolves in water, thus forming a lather, and is used as a cleansing agent. Soap is produced by combining fats or oils with alkalies or alkaline earths, usually by boiling, and consists of salts of sodium, potassium, etc., with the fatty acids (oleic, stearic, palmitic, etc.). See the Note below, and cf. Saponification. By extension, any compound of similar composition or properties, whether used as a cleaning agent or not. Note: In general, soaps are of two classes, hard and soft. Calcium, magnesium, lead, etc., form soaps, but they are insoluble and useless. "The purifying action of soap depends upon the fact that it is decomposed by a large quantity of water into free alkali and an insoluble acid salt. The first of these takes away the fatty dirt on washing, and the latter forms the soap lather which envelops the greasy matter and thus tends to remove it." Castile soap, a fine-grained hard soap, white or mottled, made of olive oil and soda; called also Marseilles soap or Venetian soap. Hard soap, any one of a great variety of soaps, of different ingredients and color, which are hard and compact. All solid soaps are of this class. Lead soap, an insoluble, white, pliable soap made by saponifying an oil (olive oil) with lead oxide; used externally in medicine. Called also lead plaster, diachylon, etc. Marine soap. See under Marine. Pills of soap (Med.), pills containing soap and opium. Potash soap, any soap made with potash, esp. the soft soaps, and a hard soap made from potash and castor oil. Pumice soap, any hard soap charged with a gritty powder, as silica, alumina, powdered pumice, etc., which assists mechanically in the removal of dirt. Resin soap, a yellow soap containing resin, used in bleaching. Silicated soap, a cheap soap containing water glass (sodium silicate). Soap bark. (Bot.) See Quillaia bark. Soap bubble, a hollow iridescent globe, formed by blowing a film of soap suds from a pipe; figuratively, something attractive, but extremely unsubstantial. "This soap bubble of the metaphysicians." Soap cerate, a cerate formed of soap, olive oil, white wax, and the subacetate of lead, sometimes used as an application to allay inflammation. Soap fat, the refuse fat of kitchens, slaughter houses, etc., used in making soap. Soap liniment (Med.), a liniment containing soap, camphor, and alcohol. Soap nut, the hard kernel or seed of the fruit of the soapberry tree, used for making beads, buttons, etc. Soap plant (Bot.), one of several plants used in the place of soap, as the Chlorogalum pomeridianum, a California plant, the bulb of which, when stripped of its husk and rubbed on wet clothes, makes a thick lather, and smells not unlike new brown soap. It is called also soap apple, soap bulb, and soap weed. Soap tree. (Bot.) Same as Soapberry tree. Soda soap, a soap containing a sodium salt. The soda soaps are all hard soaps. Soft soap, a soap of a gray or brownish yellow color, and of a slimy, jellylike consistence, made from potash or the lye from wood ashes. It is strongly alkaline and often contains glycerin, and is used in scouring wood, in cleansing linen, in dyehouses, etc. Figuratively, flattery; wheedling; blarney. (Colloq.) Toilet soap, hard soap for the toilet, usually colored and perfumed.
adjective Soft adj. (compar. softer; superl. softest) 1.Easily yielding to pressure; easily impressed, molded, or cut; not firm in resisting; impressible; yielding; also, malleable; opposed to hard; as, a soft bed; a soft peach; soft earth; soft wood or metal. 2.Not rough, rugged, or harsh to the touch; smooth; delicate; fine; as, soft silk; a soft skin. "They that wear soft clothing are in king's houses." 3.Hence, agreeable to feel, taste, or inhale; not irritating to the tissues; as, a soft liniment; soft wines. "The soft, delicious air." 4.Not harsh or offensive to the sight; not glaring; pleasing to the eye; not exciting by intensity of color or violent contrast; as, soft hues or tints. "The sun, shining upon the upper part of the clouds... made the softest lights imaginable." 5.Not harsh or rough in sound; gentle and pleasing to the ear; flowing; as, soft whispers of music. "Her voice was ever soft, Gentle, and low, an excellent thing in woman." "Soft were my numbers; who could take offense?" 6.Easily yielding; susceptible to influence; flexible; gentle; kind. "I would to God my heart were flint, like Edward's; Or Edward's soft and pitiful, like mine." "The meek or soft shall inherit the earth." 7.Expressing gentleness, tenderness, or the like; mild; conciliatory; courteous; kind; as, soft eyes. "A soft answer turneth away wrath." "A face with gladness overspread, Soft smiles, by human kindness bred." 8.Effeminate; not courageous or manly, weak. "A longing after sensual pleasures is a dissolution of the spirit of a man, and makes it loose, soft, and wandering." 9.Gentle in action or motion; easy. "On her soft axle, white she paces even, And bears thee soft with the smooth air along." 10.Weak in character; impressible. "The deceiver soon found this soft place of Adam's." 11.Somewhat weak in intellect. (Colloq.) "He made soft fellows stark noddies, and such as were foolish quite mad." 12.Quiet; undisturbed; paceful; as, soft slumbers. 13.Having, or consisting of, a gentle curve or curves; not angular or abrupt; as, soft outlines. 14.Not tinged with mineral salts; adapted to decompose soap; as, soft water is the best for washing. 15.(Phonetics) (a)Applied to a palatal, a sibilant, or a dental consonant (as g in gem, c in cent, etc.) as distinguished from a guttural mute (as g in go, c in cone, etc.); opposed to hard. (b)Belonging to the class of sonant elements as distinguished from the surd, and considered as involving less force in utterance; as, b, d, g, z, v, etc., in contrast with p, t, k, s, f, etc. Soft clam (Zool.), the common or long clam (Mya arenaria). See Mya. Soft coal, bituminous coal, as distinguished from anthracite, or hard, coal. Soft crab (Zool.), any crab which has recently shed its shell. Soft dorsal (Zool.), the posterior part of the dorsal fin of fishes when supported by soft rays. Soft grass. (Bot.) See Velvet grass. Soft money, paper money, as distinguished from coin, or hard money. (Colloq. U.S.) Soft mute. (Phonetics) See Media. Soft palate. See the Note under Palate. Soft ray (Zool.), a fin ray which is articulated and usually branched. Soft soap. See under Soap. Soft-tack, leavened bread, as distinguished from hard-tack, or ship bread. Soft tortoise (Zool.), any river tortoise of the genus Trionyx. See Trionyx.
Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48
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