softener

[ saw-fuh-ner, sof-uh- ]
/ ˈsɔ fə nər, ˈsɒf ə- /

noun

Chemistry.
  1. any admixture to a substance for promoting or increasing its softness, smoothness, or plasticity.
  2. water softener.
a person or thing that softens.

QUIZZES

CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"

"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?
Question 1 of 10
earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
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Origin of softener

First recorded in 1600–10; soften + -er1

Words nearby softener

softballer, softboard, softbound, soften, soften up, softener, softening of the brain, softhearted, softie, softish, softkey
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for softener

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