soap

nounverbnouncommon in dialogue

United Kingdom//səʊp//
United States//soʊp//

A metallic salt derived from a fatty acid, commonly used in cleaning products.

noun

1
A metallic salt derived from a fatty acid, commonly used in cleaning products.
2
informalSome other substance, often a detergent or another surfactant, able to mix with both oil and water, used for cleaning.
I tried washing my hands with soap, but the stain wouldn't go away.
She went to the shop to buy soap, but they had run out.
3
slangMoney, specially when used as a bribe.
4
informalA soap opera.
5
A solid masonry unit or brick reduced in depth or height from standard dimensions.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *seyb-? Proto-Germanic *saipǭ Proto-West Germanic *saipā Old English sāpe Middle English sope English soap From Middle English sope, sape, from Old English sāpe (“soap, salve”), from Proto-West Germanic *saipā, from Proto-Germanic *saipǭ, from Proto-Indo-European *seyb-, *seyp- (“to pour out, drip, trickle, strain”). Cognate with Scots saip, sape (“soap”), Saterland Frisian Seepe (“soap”), West Frisian sjippe (“soap”), Dutch zeep (“soap”), German Low German Seep (“soap”), German Seife (“soap”), Danish sæbe (“soap”), Swedish såpa (“soap”), Norwegian Bokmål såpe (“soap”), Norwegian Nynorsk såpe (“soap”), Faroese sápa (“soap”), Icelandic sápa (“soap”), Finnish saippua (“soap”), Finnish suopa (“soft soap”). Related also to Old English sāp (“amber, resin, pomade, unguent”), Latin sēbum (“tallow, fat, grease”). See seep. Latin sāpō (“soap”) is a borrowing from the Germanic.

verb

1
To apply soap to in washing.
Be sure to soap yourself well before rinsing.
2
informalTo cover, lather, or in any other manner treat with soap, often as a prank.
Those kids soaped my windows!
3
informalTo be discreet about (a topic).
4
datedTo flatter; to wheedle.

noun

1
slangthiopental (sodium pentothal)
'Time? Doesn't have much meaning when they're trying to dry you out. I rather think they gave me a shot of soap at one point.' Soap is intelligence speak for sodium pentathol.

Etymology

Probably an abbreviation of sodium pentothal.

Forms

plural: soaps
past tense: soaped
past participle: soaped
present participle: soaping
third person singular: soaps

soaked · Drenched with water, or other liquid.soaking · Immersion in water; a drenching or dunking.Soames · A surname.

soap · A metallic salt derived from a fatty acid, commonly used in cleaning products.

soar · To fly high with little effort, like a bird.Soar · A river in Leicestershire, England, a tributary to the Trent.soaring · The act of mounting on the wing, or of towering in thought or…

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