soap

American  

[sohp] / soʊp /

noun

1. a substance used for washing and cleansing purposes, usually made by treating a fat with an alkali, as sodium or potassium hydroxide, and consisting chiefly of the sodium or potassium salts of the acids contained in the fat.

2. any metallic salt of an acid derived from a fat.

3. Slang. money, especially as used for bribery in politics.

4. Slang. Also soap opera.

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verb (used with object)

1. to rub, cover, lather, or treat with soap.

idioms

1. no soap, no go.

   He wanted me to vote for him, but I told him no soap.

soap British  

/ səʊp /

noun

1. a cleaning or emulsifying agent made by reacting animal or vegetable fats or oils with potassium or sodium hydroxide. Soaps often contain colouring matter and perfume and act by emulsifying grease and lowering the surface tension of water, so that it more readily penetrates open materials such as textiles See also detergent

2. any metallic salt of a fatty acid, such as palmitic or stearic acid See also metallic soap

3. slang flattery or persuasive talk (esp in the phrase soft soap )

4. informal short for soap opera

5. slang money, esp for bribery

6. slang not possible or successful

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verb

1. (tr) to apply soap to

2. slang

   1. to flatter or talk persuasively to

   2. to bribe

soap Scientific  

/ sōp /

1. A substance used for washing or cleaning, consisting of a mixture of sodium or potassium salts of naturally occurring fatty acids. Like detergents, soaps work by surrounding particles of grease or dirt with their molecules, thereby allowing them to be carried away. Unlike detergents, soaps react with the minerals common in most water, forming an insoluble film that remains on fabrics. For this reason soap is not as efficient a cleaner as most detergents. The film is also what causes rings to form in bathtubs.

2. Compare detergent

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soap More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing soap

• no dice (soap)
• on one's soapbox
• soft soap

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Other Word Forms

• oversoap verb (used with object)
• soapless adjective
• soaplike adjective
• unsoaped adjective

Etymology

Origin of soap

before 1000; Middle English sope, Old English sāpe, cognate with German Seife, Dutch zeep, all < West Germanic (perhaps ≫ Latin sāpō; saponify )

Example Sentences

It comes after the recent soap crossover episode celebrating Hollyoaks' 30th anniversary where camera crews returned to the famous cul-de-sac in Liverpool for the one-off special episode.

From BBC

The worlds of the two major soap operas will collide in "Corriedale", a one-off episode where Weatherfield locals come face-to-face with their Yorkshire equivalents when they are involved in a fatal collision on the M62.

From BBC

She ate more black beans, lathered her scalp with French soap and opted for root perms.

From The Wall Street Journal

The worlds of TV soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale will collide - literally - in an explosive crossover episode on Monday, kicking off a revamped but reduced schedule for the shows.

From BBC

He swapped soap for food or other goods on the black market.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• detergent
• soapsuds