softener

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

/ ˈsɔ fə nər, ˈsɒf ə- /

noun

Chemistry.

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

a person or thing that softens.

Content related to softener

👽 - alien emoji - What does the alien emoji mean?Read more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.

ATW: What Does 😂 - Face w/ Tears of Joy Emoji Mean? | Dictionary.com Read more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.

Words nearby softener

softballer, softboard, softbound, soften, soften up, softener, softening of the brain, softhearted, softie, softish, softkey

Origin of softener

First recorded in 1600–10; soften + -er¹

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

Examples from the Web for softener

On light-weight goods the softener giving the most general satisfaction is paraffin.
Textiles|William H. Dooley
You will note that this softener also contains a percentage of grime which lodges in the pores.
The Trap|Betsy Curtis
Yet the only softener of this man of noble granite was a spirit-like girl, who regarded the love of her womanhood as sin.
The Story of Tonty|Mary Hartwell Catherwood
But distance is a great mellower of colors and softener of fears.
The Bravo|J. Fenimore Cooper

For a softener on heavy weight goods nothing has been found superior to good beef tallow.
Textiles|William H. Dooley

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