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

No soap opera can beat the Bible when it comes to mess.

From Salon

A squirt of dish soap, a cup of hot water, a few pulses to loosen the worst of it—then a quick pass with a brush.

From Salon

Visitors can watch lambs being born and bottle feed them through the pens, but Evans said both visitors and the animals were kept safe with warm water and soap provided for handwashing afterwards.

From BBC

Fox’s popular teen soap, takes place, the title changed to “The Real Housewives of Orange County.”

From Los Angeles Times

If possible, wash the wound with soap and water; avoid using antiseptic wipes, which may irritate the wound.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• detergent
• soapsuds