suint

American  

[soo-int, swint] / ˈsu ɪnt, swɪnt /

noun

1. the natural grease of the wool of sheep, consisting of a mixture of fatty matter and potassium salts, used as a source of potash and in the preparation of ointments.

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suint British  

/ ˈsuːɪnt, swɪnt /

noun

1. a water-soluble substance found in the fleece of sheep, consisting of peptides, organic acids, metal ions, and inorganic cations and formed from dried perspiration

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Etymology

Origin of suint

1785–95; < French, Middle French, equivalent to su ( er ) to sweat (< Latin sūdāre; see sweat) + -in suffix of mass nouns (as in crottin dung); -t after oint, past participle of oindre to rub with oil, anoint

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

suint

First there is a small quantity of dirt; there is what is called the suint, a kind of soapy matter, which can be removed by washing in hot water.

From The Dyeing of Woollen Fabrics by Beech, Franklin

All unwashed wool contains a fatty or greasy matter called yolk or suint.

From Handicraft for Girls A Tentative Course in Needlework, Basketry, Designing, Paper and Cardboard Construction, Textile Fibers and Fabrics and Home Decoration and Care by McGlauflin, Idabelle

Wool in its unwashed state contains a considerable proportion of what is termed suint.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 447, July 26, 1884 by Various

This suint contains always about 52 per cent. of residue when ignited.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 447, July 26, 1884 by Various

The wool suint consists largely of the potash soaps of oleic and stearic acids.

From The Dyeing of Woollen Fabrics by Beech, Franklin