soap

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See also: Soap and SOAP

English[edit]

Bars of soap

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English sope, sape, from Old English sāpe (“soap, salve”), 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”), Hindi साबुन (sābun, “soap”), Spanish jabón (“soap”). Related also to Old English sāp (“amber, resin, pomade, unguent”), Latin sēbum (“tallow, fat, grease”) and sāpō (“soap”). See seep.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

soap (countable and uncountable, plural soaps)

  1. (countable, uncountable) A substance able to mix with both oil and water, used for cleaning, often in the form of a solid bar or in liquid form, derived from fats or made synthetically.
    I tried washing my hands with soap, but the stain wouldn't go away.
  2. (chemistry) A metallic salt derived from a fatty acid
  3. Flattery or excessively complacent conversation. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
  4. (slang) Money, specially when used as a bribe.
  5. (countable, informal) A soap opera.
  6. (countable) A solid masonry unit or brick reduced in depth or height from standard dimensions.

Derived terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

Translations[edit]

soap opera — see soap opera

See also[edit]

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Verb[edit]

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

  1. (transitive) To apply soap to in washing.
    Be sure to soap yourself well before rinsing.
  2. (transitive, informal) To cover, lather or in any other form treat with soap, often as a prank.
    Those kids soaped my windows!
  3. (transitive, informal) To be discreet about (a topic).
  4. (slang, dated) To flatter; to wheedle.

Synonyms[edit]

Translations[edit]

Related terms[edit]

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Anagrams[edit]

Dutch[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from English soap.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

soap f (plural soaps, diminutive soapje n)

  1. soap opera, soap

Anagrams[edit]

French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from English soap.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

soap m (plural soaps)

  1. soap opera, soap

Anagrams[edit]

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