soapstone

[ sohp-stohn ]
/ ˈsoʊpˌstoʊn /

noun

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

QUIZZES

HEED THE VOX POPULI, AND TAKE THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

Test your memory on these verbal firecrackers from the week of June 29 to July 5!
Question 1 of 7
anchorite
a granular metamorphic rock.
a person who has retired to a solitary place for a life of religious seclusion.
a hobble or fetter for a horse or other animal.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT
Also called steatite.

Origin of soapstone

First recorded in 1675–85; soap + stone

Words nearby soapstone

soapbox, soaper, soapfish, soapie, soapolallie, soapstone, soapsuds, soapwort, soapy, soar, soaraway
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for soapstone

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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.