soap

See also: Soap and SOAP

English

Pronunciation

(General American) IPA^(key): /soʊp/
(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /səʊp/
Audio (US): (file)
Audio (UK): (file)
Rhymes: -əʊp

Etymology 1

From Middle English sope, sape, from Old English sāpe (“soap, salve”), from Proto-West Germanic *saipā, from Proto-Germanic *saipǭ, from Proto-Indo-European *seyb-, *seyp- (“to pour out, drip, trickle, strain”).

Cognate with Scots saip, sape (“soap”), Saterland Frisian Seepe (“soap”), West Frisian sjippe (“soap”), Dutch zeep (“soap”), German Low German Seep (“soap”), German Seife (“soap”), Danish sæbe (“soap”), Swedish såpa (“soap”), Norwegian Bokmål såpe (“soap”), Norwegian Nynorsk såpe (“soap”), Faroese sápa (“soap”), Icelandic sápa (“soap”), Finnish saippua (“soap”), Finnish suopa (“soft soap”). Related also to Old English sāp (“amber, resin, pomade, unguent”), Latin sēbum (“tallow, fat, grease”). See seep. Latin sāpō (“soap”) is a borrowing from the Germanic.

Noun

soap (countable and uncountable, plural soaps)

(chemistry) A metallic salt derived from a fatty acid, commonly used in cleaning products.
(countable, uncountable, informal, by extension, mineralogy) Some other substance, often a detergent or another surfactant, able to mix with both oil and water, used for cleaning.
I tried washing my hands with soap, but the stain wouldn't go away.
(slang) Money, specially when used as a bribe.
(countable, informal) A soap opera.
(countable) A solid masonry unit or brick reduced in depth or height from standard dimensions.

Alternative forms

sope (obsolete)

Derived terms

Descendants

Sranan Tongo: sopo
- → Kari'na: sopo
- → Trió: sopo
- → Wayana: sopu
Tok Pisin: sop
→ Ajië: yööpö
→ Bemba: isopo
→ Burmese: ဆပ်ပြာ (hcappra)
- → Shan: သပ်ႉပျႃႇ (sâ̰p pjàa)
→ Chichewa: sopo
→ Dutch: soap
→ French: soap
→ German: Soap
→ Irish: sópa
→ Malayalam: സോപ്പ് (sōppŭ)
→ Maori: hopi
→ Marshallese: joob
→ Palauan: sob
→ Pohnpeian: sohpw
→ Tamil: சோப்பு (cōppu)
→ Teribe: söp
→ West Uvean: sop
→ Xârâcùù: söpö

Translations

substance

Abkhaz: асапын (asapʼən)
Acehnese: sabôn
Adyghe: сабын (sabən)
Afrikaans: seep (af)
Aklanon: habon
Albanian: sapun (sq) m
Aleut: miilax̂
Amharic: ሳሙና (samuna)
Arabic: صَابُون m (ṣābūn)
Egyptian Arabic: صابونة f (ṣabūna), صابون m pl (ṣabūn)
Aramaic:
Classical Syriac: ܨܦܘܢܐ m (ṣappōnā)
Armenian: օճառ (hy) (ōčaṙ), (colloquial) սապոն (hy) (sapon)
Aromanian: sãpuni f, sãpune f
Assamese: চাবোন (sabün)
Asturian: xabón (ast) m
Avar: сапун (sapun)
Azerbaijani: sabun (az)
Bashkir: һабын (habın)
Basque: xaboi
Belarusian: мы́ла n (mýla)
Bengali: সাবান (bn) (śaban)
Breton: saon, soavon (br)
Bulgarian: сапу́н (bg) m (sapún)
Burmese: ဆပ်ပြာ (my) (hcappra)
Buryat: мылэ (myle), сабан (saban)
Carpathian Rusyn: мы́дло n (mŷ́dlo)
Catalan: sabó (ca) m
Chamicuro: shawona
Chechen: саба (saba)
Cherokee: ᎣᎳ (ola), ᎣᏝ (otla)
Chichewa: sopo
Chinese:
Cantonese: 番鹼 / 番碱 (faan¹ gaan²), 番梘 / 番枧 (yue) (faan¹ gaan²)

Dungan: йизы (yizɨ)

Eastern Min: 胰皂 (ì-cô̤)

Gan: 肥皂 ('fi⁴ cau⁵), 洋鹼 / 洋碱 (iong⁴ 'gan³)

Hainanese: ^{(please verify)} 差文 (sa¹ vun⁶, sa² vun⁶)

Hakka: 茶箍 (chhà-kû), 番鹼 / 番碱 (fân-kién, fân-kián), 石鹼 / 石碱 (sa̍k-kién), 番鹼 / 番碱

Hokkien: 雪文 (sat-bûn, sap-bûn, sap-mûi), 茶箍 (zh-min-nan) (tê-kho͘) (Taiwan), 油胰 (iû-i) (Kinmen)

Jin: 肥皂 (fei¹ zau³), 胰子 (i¹ zeh)

Mandarin: 肥皂 (zh) (féizào), 胰子 (zh) (yízi) (dialectal)

Northern Min: 胰仔 (ǐ-ciě)

Teochew: 餅藥 / 饼药, 饼药 (pian² ioh⁸, pian² iêh⁸)

Wu: 肥皂

Xiang: 肥皂 (fei² zau⁵), 胰子油 (i² zr iou²) (dated)
Chukchi: муԓемуԓ (muḷemuḷ)
Chuvash: супӑнь (sup̬ănʹ)
Crimean Tatar: sabun
Czech: mýdlo (cs) n
Dalmatian: sapaun m
Danish: sæbe (da) c
Dargwa: сапун (sapun)
Dhivehi: ސައިބޯނި (saibōni)
Dhuwal: djäbu
Dutch: zeep (nl) f
Elfdalian: twål m
Erzya: сапонь (sapoń)
Esperanto: sapo (eo)
Estonian: seep (et)
Faroese: sápa f
Finnish: saippua (fi)
French: savon (fr) m
Friulian: savon m
Gagauz: sabun
Galician: xabón (gl) m, xabrón (gl) m
Georgian: საპონი (ka) (saṗoni)
German: Seife (de) f
Greek: σαπούνι (el) n (sapoúni)
Ancient: σμῆμα n (smêma), σμῆγμα n (smêgma), ῥύμμα n (rhúmma), (Koine) σάπων m (sápōn)
Greenlandic: qaqorsaat
Gujarati: સાબુ m (sābu), સોપ m (sop), સાબૂન m (sābūn)
Hausa: sabulu
Hawaiian: kopa
Hebrew: סבון \ סַבּוֹן (he) m (sabón), בּוֹרִית (he) f (borít) (archaic)
Hindi: साबुन (hi) m (sābun)
Hungarian: szappan (hu)
Hunsrik: Seif f
Icelandic: sápa (is) f
Ido: sapono (io)
Indonesian: sabun (id)
Ingush: сапа (sapa)
Interlingua: sapon
Inuktitut: ᐃᕐᒥᐅᑦ (irmiot)
Irish: gallúnach f, sópa m
Old Irish: gallúinech
Italian: sapone (it) m
Japanese: 石鹸 (ja) (せっけん, sekken), シャボン (ja) (shabon)
Jarai: ia čơƀu
Kabardian: сабын (kbd) (sabən)
Kalmyk: савң (savñ)
Kannada: ಸಾಬೂನು (kn) (sābūnu)
Karachay-Balkar: сапын (sapın)
Karakalpak: sabın
Karelian: saippu, muilu
Kashubian: mëdło n
Kazakh: сабын (sabyn)
Khakas: сабын (sabın)
Khmer: សាប៊ូ (km) (saabuu)
Komi-Permyak: майтöг (majtög)
Korean: 비누 (ko) (binu), 석감(石鹼) (seokgam)
Kumyk: сапун (sapun)
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: سابون (sabun)

Northern Kurdish: sabûn (ku) f
Kyrgyz: самын (ky) (samın)
Ladino: shavón m, שאבון m
Lao: ສະບູ່ (lo) (sa bū)
Latin: sāpō m
Latvian: ziepes f pl
Lezgi: запун (zapun)
Lithuanian: muilas (lt) m
Lombard: savon, savun
Low German:
German Low German: Seep f
Lun Bawang: sabun
Luxembourgish: Seef (lb) f
Macedonian: сапун (mk) m (sapun)
Maguindanao: sabun
Malagasy: savony (mg)
Malay: sabun (ms)
Malayalam: സോപ്പ് (ml) (sōppŭ)
Maltese: sapuna (mt) f
Manx: sheeabin m
Maori: hopi
Maranao: sabon
Marathi: साबण (sābaṇ)
Mari:
Eastern Mari: шовын (šovyn)
Middle English: sope
Mongolian:
Cyrillic: саван (mn) (savan)

Mongolian: ᠰᠠᠪᠤᠩ (sabung)
Nahuatl: āmōlli
Nanai: мэлэ (mele)
Navajo: táláwosh
Nepali: सावुन (sāwuna)
Nogai: сабын (sabın)
Norman: savon m (Jersey)
Northern Sami: sáibbo, sáibu
Norwegian:
Bokmål: såpe (no) m or f

Nynorsk: såpe f
Occitan: sabon (oc) m
Odia: ସାବୁନ (sābuna)
Old English: sāpe f
Old High German: seipfa f, seiffa f, seifa f
Oromo: saamunaa
Osage: wépukxa
Ossetian: сапон (sapon)
Ottoman Turkish: صابون (sabun)
Papiamentu: habon
Pashto: سابون (ps) m (sābūn)
Persian:
Dari: صَابُون (sābūn)

Iranian Persian: صابون (fa) (sâbun)
Piedmontese: savon m
Plautdietsch: Seep f
Polish: mydło (pl) n
Portuguese: sabão (pt) m, sabonete (pt) m (bath soap)
Punjabi: ਸਾਬਣ (pa) (sābaṇ)
Rakhine: သပုန် (sa.pum)
Rohingya: sabon
Romagnol: savôn m
Romanian: săpun (ro) n
Romansch: savun, savung, savùn
Russian: мы́ло (ru) n (mýlo)
Sanskrit: फेनक (sa) n (phenaka)
Sardinian: sabone, saboni, saoni, sapone
Saterland Frisian: Seepe f
Scottish Gaelic: siabann m
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: са̀пӯн m

Roman: sàpūn (sh) m
Seychellois Creole: savon
Shan: သပ်ႉပျႃႇ (sâ̰p pjàa)
Shor: сабын (sabın)
Sicilian: sapuni (scn) m
Sinhalese: සබන් (saban)
Slovak: mydlo (sk) n
Slovene: milo (sl) n
Somali: saabuun
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: mydło n

Upper Sorbian: mydło n
Sotho: sesepa
Southern Altai: самын (samïn)
Southern Ohlone: hawun
Spanish: jabón (es) m, sopín m (Louisiana)
Swahili: sabuni (sw)
Swedish: tvål (sv) c, såpa (sv) c
Tabasaran: сябун (sjabun)
Tagalog: sabon
Tai Dam: ꪎꪱꪡ꫁ꪮꪉ
Tajik: собун (tg) (sobun)
Tamil: சோப்பு (ta) (cōppu)
Tatar: сабын (tt) (sabın)
Telugu: సబ్బు (te) (sabbu)
Tetum: sabaun
Thai: สบู่ (th) (sà-bùu)
Tigrinya: ሳሙና (samuna)
Tongan: koa
Tumbuka: sopo
Turkish: sabun (tr)
Turkmen: sabyn
Tuvan: саваң (savañ)
Udmurt: майтал (majtal)
Ukrainian: ми́ло n (mýlo)
Urdu: صابُن m (sābun)
Uyghur: سوپۇن (sopun)
Uzbek: sovun (uz)
Venetan: saon (vec) m, savon
Vietnamese: xà phòng (vi), xà bông (vi)
Vilamovian: zaof f
Volapük: sob (vo)
Welsh: sebon (cy) m
Western Bukidnon Manobo: savun
Wolof: saabu (wo)
Yakut: мыыла (mııla)
Yami: siken
Yiddish: זייף f or n (zeyf)
Yoruba: ọṣẹ
Zhuang: yangzgenj, genj

soap opera — see soap opera

References

Verb

soap (third-person singular simple present soaps, present participle soaping, simple past and past participle soaped)

(transitive) To apply soap to in washing.
Be sure to soap yourself well before rinsing.
(transitive, informal) To cover, lather, or in any other manner treat with soap, often as a prank.
Those kids soaped my windows!
(transitive, informal) To be discreet about (a topic).
Synonyms: soft-soap, soft-pedal, sugar soap, downplay
(slang, dated) To flatter; to wheedle.

Derived terms

Translations

apply soap in washing / cover with soap as a prank

Armenian: օճառվել (hy) (ōčaṙvel)
Bulgarian: сапунисвам (sapunisvam)
Chinese:
Mandarin: please add this translation if you can
Czech: namydlit, mydlit
Dutch: zepen (nl)
Esperanto: sapumi (eo)
Finnish: saippuoida (fi)
French: savonner (fr), (reflexive) se savonner
Galician: enxaboar (gl)
German: einseifen (de)
Greek: σαπουνίζω (el) (sapounízo)
Ancient: σμήχω (smḗkhō)
Hiligaynon: habon
Hungarian: szappanoz (hu)
Ingrian: muilata
Italian: insaponare (it), (reflexive) insaponarsi
Latvian: ziepēt (ieziepēt, saziepēt)
Lun Bawang: nabun
Marathi: साबण लावणे (sābaṇ lāvṇe)
Ottoman Turkish: صابونلامق (sabunlamak)
Polish: mydlić (pl)
Portuguese: ensaboar (pt)
Romanian: săpuni (ro)
Russian: мы́лить (ru) impf (mýlitʹ), намы́лить (ru) pf (namýlitʹ)
Spanish: enjabonar (es), (reflexive) enjabonarse (es)
Swahili: sabuni (sw)
Swedish: tvåla in
Tagalog: sabon
Turkish: sabunlamak (tr)
Venetan: insaonar (vec)

Related terms

Etymology 2

Probably an abbreviation of sodium pentothal.

Noun

soap (uncountable)

(slang) thiopental (sodium pentothal)
- 2013, John Gardner, James Bond: The John Gardner Years:
  'Time? Doesn't have much meaning when they're trying to dry you out. I rather think they gave me a shot of soap at one point.' Soap is intelligence speak for sodium pentathol.

Anagrams

AOPs, AOSP, OAPs, OSAP, PAOs, Paos, Paso, SOPA, Sapo, poas, sapo-

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English soap. Doublet of zeep.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /soːp/
Audio: (file)
Hyphenation: soap
Rhymes: -oːp

Noun

soap f (plural soaps, diminutive soapje n)

soap opera

Anagrams

opa's

French

Etymology

Borrowed from English soap.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /sop/

Noun

soap m (plural soaps)

soap opera

Anagrams

posa