Toilet soap

Toilet soap
Soap Soap, n. [OE. sope, AS. s[=a]pe; akin to D. zeep, G. seife, OHG. seifa, Icel. s[=a]pa, Sw. s?pa, Dan. s?be, and perhaps to AS. s[=i]pan to drip, MHG. s[=i]fen, and L. sebum tallow. Cf. {Saponaceous}.] A substance which dissolves in water, thus forming a lather, and is used as a cleansing agent. Soap is produced by combining fats or oils with alkalies or alkaline earths, usually by boiling, and consists of salts of sodium, potassium, etc., with the fatty acids (oleic, stearic, palmitic, etc.). See the Note below, and cf. {Saponification}. By extension, any compound of similar composition or properties, whether used as a cleaning agent or not. [1913 Webster]

Note: In general, soaps are of two classes, hard and soft. Calcium, magnesium, lead, etc., form soaps, but they are insoluble and useless. [1913 Webster]

The purifying action of soap depends upon the fact that it is decomposed by a large quantity of water into free alkali and an insoluble acid salt. The first of these takes away the fatty dirt on washing, and the latter forms the soap lather which envelops the greasy matter and thus tends to remove it. --Roscoe & Schorlemmer. [1913 Webster]

{Castile soap}, a fine-grained hard soap, white or mottled, made of olive oil and soda; -- called also {Marseilles soap} or {Venetian soap}.

{Hard soap}, any one of a great variety of soaps, of different ingredients and color, which are hard and compact. All solid soaps are of this class.

{Lead soap}, an insoluble, white, pliable soap made by saponifying an oil (olive oil) with lead oxide; -- used externally in medicine. Called also {lead plaster}, {diachylon}, etc.

{Marine soap}. See under {Marine}.

{Pills of soap} (Med.), pills containing soap and opium.

{Potash soap}, any soap made with potash, esp. the soft soaps, and a hard soap made from potash and castor oil.

{Pumice soap}, any hard soap charged with a gritty powder, as silica, alumina, powdered pumice, etc., which assists mechanically in the removal of dirt.

{Resin soap}, a yellow soap containing resin, -- used in bleaching.

{Silicated soap}, a cheap soap containing water glass (sodium silicate).

{Soap bark}. (Bot.) See {Quillaia bark}.

{Soap bubble}, a hollow iridescent globe, formed by blowing a film of soap suds from a pipe; figuratively, something attractive, but extremely unsubstantial. [1913 Webster]

This soap bubble of the metaphysicians. --J. C. Shairp. [1913 Webster]

{Soap cerate}, a cerate formed of soap, olive oil, white wax, and the subacetate of lead, sometimes used as an application to allay inflammation.

{Soap fat}, the refuse fat of kitchens, slaughter houses, etc., used in making soap.

{Soap liniment} (Med.), a liniment containing soap, camphor, and alcohol.

{Soap nut}, the hard kernel or seed of the fruit of the soapberry tree, -- used for making beads, buttons, etc.

{Soap plant} (Bot.), one of several plants used in the place of soap, as the {Chlorogalum pomeridianum}, a California plant, the bulb of which, when stripped of its husk and rubbed on wet clothes, makes a thick lather, and smells not unlike new brown soap. It is called also {soap apple}, {soap bulb}, and {soap weed}.

{Soap tree}. (Bot.) Same as {Soapberry tree}.

{Soda soap}, a soap containing a sodium salt. The soda soaps are all hard soaps.

{Soft soap}, a soap of a gray or brownish yellow color, and of a slimy, jellylike consistence, made from potash or the lye from wood ashes. It is strongly alkaline and often contains glycerin, and is used in scouring wood, in cleansing linen, in dyehouses, etc. Figuratively, flattery; wheedling; blarney. [Colloq.]

{Toilet soap}, hard soap for the toilet, usually colored and perfumed. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • toilet soap — noun soap used as a toiletry • Syn: ↑face soap, ↑bath soap • Hypernyms: ↑soap * * * noun : a mild soap that is made from fatty materials of high quality usually by milling and plodding to form cakes and that is often perfumed and colored and… …   Useful english dictionary

  • toilet soap — tualetinis muilas statusas T sritis chemija apibrėžtis Išvalytas, dažniausiai kvapus, įvairių spalvų muilas. atitikmenys: angl. toilet soap rus. туалетное мыло …   Chemijos terminų aiškinamasis žodynas

  • toilet soap — toi′let soap n. cvb a mild and usu. perfumed soap • Etymology: 1830–40 …   From formal English to slang

  • toilet soap — noun Date: 1839 a mild soap that is often perfumed and colored and stabilized with preservatives …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • toilet soap — a mild and usually perfumed soap for washing the hands and face and for bathing. [1830 40] * * * …   Universalium

  • toilet soap — special type of soap used for cleansing the body …   English contemporary dictionary

  • Soap — Soap, n. [OE. sope, AS. s[=a]pe; akin to D. zeep, G. seife, OHG. seifa, Icel. s[=a]pa, Sw. s?pa, Dan. s?be, and perhaps to AS. s[=i]pan to drip, MHG. s[=i]fen, and L. sebum tallow. Cf. {Saponaceous}.] A substance which dissolves in water, thus… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • soap apple — Soap Soap, n. [OE. sope, AS. s[=a]pe; akin to D. zeep, G. seife, OHG. seifa, Icel. s[=a]pa, Sw. s?pa, Dan. s?be, and perhaps to AS. s[=i]pan to drip, MHG. s[=i]fen, and L. sebum tallow. Cf. {Saponaceous}.] A substance which dissolves in water,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Soap bark — Soap Soap, n. [OE. sope, AS. s[=a]pe; akin to D. zeep, G. seife, OHG. seifa, Icel. s[=a]pa, Sw. s?pa, Dan. s?be, and perhaps to AS. s[=i]pan to drip, MHG. s[=i]fen, and L. sebum tallow. Cf. {Saponaceous}.] A substance which dissolves in water,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Soap bubble — Soap Soap, n. [OE. sope, AS. s[=a]pe; akin to D. zeep, G. seife, OHG. seifa, Icel. s[=a]pa, Sw. s?pa, Dan. s?be, and perhaps to AS. s[=i]pan to drip, MHG. s[=i]fen, and L. sebum tallow. Cf. {Saponaceous}.] A substance which dissolves in water,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”