soapstone

[ sohp-stohn ]

/ ˈsoʊpˌstoʊn /

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noun

a massive variety of talc with a soapy or greasy feel, used for hearths, washtubs, tabletops, carved ornaments, etc.

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Also called steatite.

Origin of soapstone

First recorded in 1675–85; soap + stone

Words nearby soapstone

soapolallie, soap opera, soap pad, soap plant, soap powder, soapstone, soapsuds, soapwort, soapy, soar, soaraway

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use soapstone in a sentence

The Piedmont also has a great variety of rocks, including granite and soapstone which are currently commercially important.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey
Sammy Soapstone had blue eyes and tow hair which stood up straight on his head.
Seven O'Clock Stories|Robert Gordon Anderson
Sophy Soapstone had blue eyes, too, and two neat little pigtails down her back.
Seven O'Clock Stories|Robert Gordon Anderson
Glass is liable to crack, while lava or the soapstone insulating bushings absorb oil.
Aviation Engines|Victor Wilfred Pag

They use in making the copies a limestone of fine and compact grain, soapstone, serpentine and alabaster.
Scarabs|Isaac Myer

British Dictionary definitions for soapstone

soapstone

/ (ˈsəʊpˌstəʊn) /

noun

a massive compact soft variety of talc, used for making tabletops, hearths, ornaments, etcAlso called: steatite

Word Origin for soapstone

C17: so called because it has a greasy feel and was sometimes used as soap

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for soapstone

soapstone

[ sōp′stōn′ ]

A soft metamorphic rock composed mostly of the mineral talc, but also including chlorite, pyroxene, and amphibole. It has a schistose texture and is greasy to the touch. Soapstone forms through the alteration of ferromagnesian silicate minerals during metamorphism.