soapwort

[ sohp-wurt, -wawrt ]

/ ˈsoʊpˌwɜrt, -ˌwɔrt /

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noun

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

Nearby words

soapfish, soapie, soapolallie, soapstone, soapsuds, soapwort, soapy, soar, soaraway, soares, soares, mário

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

/ (ˈsəʊpˌwɜːt) /

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