Library / English Dictionary

SOAP

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A cleansing agent made from the salts of vegetable or animal fats

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("soap" is a kind of...):

cleaner; cleanser; cleansing agent (a preparation used in cleaning something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "soap"):

bar soap (soap in the form of a bar)

castile soap (a good hard soap made from olive oil and sodium hydroxide)

liquid soap (soap in liquid form)

leather soap; saddle soap (a mild soap for cleansing and conditioning leather)

soap flakes (soap that has been cut into flakes to make suds faster)

built-soap powder; soap powder; washing powder (soap in powdered form mixed with alkaline builders)

green soap; soft soap (a soft (or liquid) soap made from vegetable oils; used in certain skin diseases)

bath soap; face soap; toilet soap (soap used as a toiletry)

Derivation:

saponify (convert into soap by hydrolizing an ester into an acid and alcohol as a result of treating it with an alkali)

soap (rub soap all over, usually with the purpose of cleaning)

soapy (resembling or having the qualities of soap)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Street names for gamma hydroxybutyrate

Synonyms:

easy lay; Georgia home boy; goop; grievous bodily harm; liquid ecstasy; max; scoop; soap

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("soap" is a kind of...):

gamma hydroxybutyrate; GHB (a club drug available in liquid or powder form is taken orally (frequently combined with alcohol); used to incapacitate individuals for the commission of sexual assault and rape)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Money offered as a bribe

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Hypernyms ("soap" is a kind of...):

bribe; payoff (payment made to a person in a position of trust to corrupt his judgment)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Rub soap all over, usually with the purpose of cleaning

Synonyms:

lather; soap

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Hypernyms (to "soap" is one way to...):

clean; cleanse (clean one's body or parts thereof, as by washing)

"Soap" entails doing...:

lave; wash (cleanse (one's body) with soap and water)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

Did he soap his foot?

Derivation:

soap (a cleansing agent made from the salts of vegetable or animal fats)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Carapa oil is used as a lamp oil, in the making of soap, and for topical skin application.

(Carapa guianensis Seed Oil, NCI Thesaurus)

Everything was done at last, even to Amy's arranging different colored soaps to match the different colored rooms, and Beth's setting the table for the first meal.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

According to a survey published in 2017 by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, 84% of surveyed Britons did not wash their hands well enough from a hygiene perspective — at least twenty seconds with soap and water.

(Wash your hands or else spread superbug E. coli, say scientists, Wikinews)

So passed Sunday, and Monday morning he was hard at work, sorting clothes, while Joe, a towel bound tightly around his head, with groans and blasphemies, was running the washer and mixing soft-soap.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Cloflucarban is used as disinfectant and is found in antimicrobial soaps and deodorants.

(Cloflucarban, NCI Thesaurus)

Isopropanol is used in soaps and lotions as an antiseptic.

(Isopropyl Alcohol, NCI Thesaurus)

Hexachlorophene is used topically in soaps, creams and dermatological preparations and is active against gram-positive organisms, but much less effective against gram-negative organisms.

(Hexachlorophene, NCI Thesaurus)

A lotion dosage form which has a soap or detergent that is usually used to clean the hair and scalp; it is often used as a vehicle for dermatologic agents.

(Lotion Shampoo Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

Use a separate cutting board and utensils for meats and clean them carefully with soap and hot water after use.

(Campylobacter Infections, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Picea mariana leaf oil is used for its aromatic properties in soaps and skincare products.

(Picea mariana Leaf Oil, NCI Thesaurus)