water softener

American

noun

any of a group of substances that when added to water containing calcium and magnesium ions cause the ions to precipitate or change their usual properties: used in the purification of water for the laboratory, and for giving water more efficient sudsing ability with soap.

water softener British

noun

any substance that lessens the hardness of water, usually by precipitating or absorbing calcium and magnesium ions
a tank, apparatus, or chemical plant that is used to filter or treat water to remove chemicals that cause hardness

"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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I reached out to the company that installed our water softener and purification system.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 4, 2022

"Homeowners can — and should — take preventative measures by using a water softener to preserve their belongings."

From Salon • Aug. 19, 2022

While still used in food, now it is mainly mined as a chemical agent, water softener, or a de- icer for roads.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017

Surrounded by young kilowatt-counters, they now have no anxiety about utilities bills and no need to buy water softener for the washing machine that runs on collected rain water.

From Scientific American • May 17, 2012

The substance is cholestyramine, developed by Dow Chemical Co. as a water softener because impurities in the water become bound to its particles and can be precipitated out.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023