Soap

Soap, sōp, n. a compound of oils or fats with soda (hard soaps) or potash (soft soaps), used in washing: (slang) soft words, flattery: (U.S. slang) money used for bribery and other secret political purposes.—v.t. to rub or wash with soap: to flatter.—ns. Soap′-ball, soap made into a ball, often with starch, as an emollient; Soap′berry, the fruit of several species of trees belonging to the genus Sapindus, containing a pulp useful as a substitute for soap in washing; Soap′-boil′er, one whose occupation is to make soap; Soap′-boil′ing, the occupation of making soap; Soap′-bub′ble, a bubble made from soap-suds by blowing through a pipe; Soap′iness; Soap′-lock, a lock of hair brushed apart from the rest: a rowdy; Soap′-pan, a large tank for boiling the ingredients in soap-making; Soap′-plant, a plant the bulb of which makes a thick lather when rubbed on clothes, and is used as soap; Soap′-stone, a soft kind of magnesian rock having a soapy feel, also called Steatite; Soap′-suds (s. and pl.), soapy water, esp. when worked into a foam; Soap′-test, a test for determining the degree of hardness of water; Soap′-works, a place where soap is made; Soap′wort, a genus of plants, some of the species of which have very beautiful flowers, and the root and leaves of which contain saponin, and hence are sometimes used in washing.—adj. Soap′y, like soap: having the qualities of soap: covered with soap: flattering, or pertaining to flattery. [A.S. sápe; Dut. zeep, Ger. seife.]