salve

¹ American  

[sav, sahv] / sæv, sɑv /

noun

1. a medicinal ointment for healing or relieving wounds and sores.

2. anything that soothes, mollifies, or relieves.

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verb (used with object)

salved, salving

1. to soothe with or as if with salve; assuage.

   to salve one's conscience.

   Synonyms:

   mollify, alleviate, ease

salve ² American  

[salv] / sælv /

verb (used with or without object)

salved, salving

1. to save from loss or destruction; to salvage.

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salve ³ American  

[sal-vee, sahl-wey] / ˈsæl vi, ˈsɑl weɪ /

interjection

1. hail!

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salve ¹ British  

/ sælv, sɑːv /

noun

1. an ointment for wounds, sores, etc

2. anything that heals or soothes

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verb

1. to apply salve to (a wound, sore, etc)

2. to soothe, comfort, or appease

salve ² British  

/ sælv /

verb

1. a less common word for salvage

2. an archaic word for save 1

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Etymology

Origin of salve¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English noun salve, salwe, salf(e), Old English sealf, salf; cognate with German Salbe “ointment, salve,” Sanskrit sarpís “melted butter, fat”; verb derivative of the noun

Origin of salve²

First recorded in 1700–10; back formation from salvage

Origin of salve³

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin salvē! literally, “be in good health!”; salute

Example Sentences

Most were too young to be harvested, too weak to sell to Nine for salve.

From Literature

In “Who Needs Friends,” McCarthy offers no full-safe salve for the loneliness of men — after all, who can?

From Los Angeles Times

After the confinement above the shop and the suffocating worries about my future, the fun had been like a salve on an open wound.

From Literature

A glint of salve or some kind of cream was on her cheeks and neck.

From Literature

"We fed them fish snacks. Looked at their boots. Put salve on Blizzard's paw and wrapped it up."

From Literature

Related Words

• alleviate
• assuage
• mollify
• pacify
• unburden