soapstone

[sohp-stohn]

noun

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

Origin of soapstone

First recorded in 1675–85; soap + stone

Also called steatite.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for soapstone

Historical Examples of soapstone

Popularly the terms talc and soapstone are often used synonymously.
The Economic Aspect of Geology
C. K. Leith
The pot above it, suspended from the roof, was also made of soapstone.
The Giant of the North
R.M. Ballantyne
It is made of soapstone and has a hole in each corner for the string.
The Central Eskimo
Franz Boas
The blue rocks are hollowed like soapstone by the rush of the water.
From Sea to Sea
Rudyard Kipling
One could tell by the soapstone lamps in the huts that famine was near.
The Second Jungle Book
Rudyard Kipling

British Dictionary definitions for soapstone

soapstone

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

Word Origin and History for soapstone

type of talc, 1680s, from soap (n.) + stone (n.). So called because it is occasionally used for cleaning.

soapstone in Science

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.