softener

[ saw-fuh-ner, sof-uh- ]

/ ˈsɔ fə nər, ˈsɒf ə- /

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noun

Chemistry.

any admixture to a substance for promoting or increasing its softness, smoothness, or plasticity.
water softener.

a person or thing that softens.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of softener

First recorded in 1600–10; soften + -er¹

Words nearby softener

soft-cover, soft credit inquiry, soft drink, soft drug, soften, softener, softening of the brain, soften up, soft-finned, soft focus, soft-focus lens

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use softener in a sentence

Fabric softeners work by coating the fabric fibers with a soft-feeling residue.
How to Clean Your Cycling Gear|agintzler|July 17, 2021|Outside Online
On light-weight goods the softener giving the most general satisfaction is paraffin.
Textiles|William H. Dooley
For a softener on heavy weight goods nothing has been found superior to good beef tallow.
Textiles|William H. Dooley
To get this evenness the badger hair softener must be washed out and dried after coating each sheet.
The Barnet Book of Photography|Various

But time is a sure healer of wounds; a softener of resentment.
Johnny Ludlow, Fourth Series|Mrs. Henry Wood
You will note that this softener also contains a percentage of grime which lodges in the pores.
The Trap|Betsy Curtis

British Dictionary definitions for softener

softener

/ (ˈsɒfənə) /

noun

a substance added to another substance to increase its softness, pliability, or plasticity

a substance, such as a zeolite, for softening water

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