soapwort

[sohp-wurt, -wawrt]

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noun

a plant, Saponaria officinalis, of the pink family, whose leaves are used for cleansing.

Origin of soapwort

First recorded in 1540–50; soap + wort²

Also called bouncing Bet, bouncing Bess.

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

Examples from the Web for soapwort

It was common wayside "Bouncing Bet," but the Harvester called it "soapwort."
The Harvester|Gene Stratton Porter
The Soapwort comes to us from Europe, where in some localities it is a common wild flower.
Birds and Nature Vol. 11 No. 2 [February 1902]|Various
Next came carrying the couch grass, wild alum, and soapwort into the store-room.
The Harvester|Gene Stratton Porter
Other sapotoxins are obtained from the roots of soapwort and from several species of Gypsophila.
The Chemistry of Plant Life|Roscoe Wilfred Thatcher

Polypetalous corolla of Soapwort, of five petals with long claws or stalk-like bases.
The Elements of Botany|Asa Gray

British Dictionary definitions for soapwort

soapwort

noun

a Eurasian caryophyllaceous plant, Saponaria officinalis, having rounded clusters of fragrant pink or white flowers and leaves that were formerly used as a soap substituteAlso called: bouncing Bet

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