soap

[ sohp ]

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.

verb (used with object)

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

soap

/ 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 saponaceous
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. no soap slang.
   not possible or successful

verb

1. tr to apply soap to
2. slang.
   troften foll byup
   1. to flatter or talk persuasively to
   2. to bribe

soap

/ 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

Derived Forms

• ˈsoapˌlike, adjective
• ˈsoapless, adjective

Other Words From

• soapless adjective
• soaplike adjective
• over·soap verb (used with object)
• un·soaped adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of soap¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of soap¹

Old English sāpe; related to Old High German seipfa, Old French savon, Latin sāpō

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. no soap, Informal. no go:

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

More idioms and phrases containing soap

In addition to the idiom beginning with soap , also see no dice (soap) ; on one's soapbox ; soft soap .

Example Sentences

Dame Sarah, who was made a dame in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to para-cycling, had been the final contestant named on the show's line-up - alongside fellow celebrities including Olympic rower Sir Steve Redgrave, TV presenter Michaela Strachan and soap stars Charlie Brooks and Sam Aston.

From BBC

Instead, he showed the farmers how to clean their equipment with hot water and soap.

From Los Angeles Times

They urged people to wash their hands with soap, avoid mass gatherings, and avoid touching the bodies of the deceased without qualified health personnel.

From BBC

The 15-year-old has come up with an idea for a soap that could help treat skin cancer, and he is already working with scientists to test his idea.

From NewsForKids.net

The biggest celebrities are usually those who appear in Hollywood movies or on prime time TV, but the stars of long-running daytime soap operas can foster especially close connections with their fans, who tune in day after day and follow a character’s development for years.

From New York Times

Related Words

• detergent
• soapsuds