salve

1 of 3

noun

ˈsav How to pronounce salve (audio)
ˈsäv,
ˈsalv,
ˈsälv
1
: an unctuous adhesive substance for application to wounds or sores
2
: a remedial or soothing influence or agency
a salve to their hurt feelings

salve

2 of 3

verb (1)

salved; salving

transitive verb

1
: to remedy (something, such as disease) with or as if with a salve
2
: quiet, assuage
give him a raise in salary to salve his feelingsUpton Sinclair

salve

3 of 3

verb (2)

salved; salving
salvor
ˈsal-vər How to pronounce salve (audio)
-ˌvȯr
noun

Examples of salve in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Glossier Balm Dotcom is a dual-purpose skin salve and lip balm in flavors reminiscent of our favorite childhood balms like Birthday and Mango. Kaitlyn McInnis, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Sep. 2023 Immersing yourself in an activity that absorbs your attention can be a salve for anxiety, and lead to community and friendships. Laura Newberry, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2023 The salve is made with oats and feverfew, a plant packed with antioxidants, that reverses dullness, dryness, and redness. Nerisha Penrose, ELLE, 28 Aug. 2023 Cultivating a sense of wonder can be a salve for a turbulent mind. Christina Caron, New York Times, 6 Aug. 2023 Bloom Hemp offers a variety of topicals such as creams, balms, and salves infused with CBD oil. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 31 Aug. 2023 For the all-day listeners, however, the practice could be a godsend for focus or a salve for social isolation. Tatum Hunter, Washington Post, 28 Aug. 2023 In these moments, Functional Fragrance served as an emotional salve to me and my family members—at the height of the nerve-racking hospital visit, whiffs of the scent offered moments of reprieve to us all. Kiana Murden, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2023 One salve for the pain of discarding books is the prospect of turning them into a few extra bucks at a used book store. Gabe Bullard, Washington Post, 22 Aug. 2023
Verb
Perhaps curling up and reading a book can salve the sting. Chloe Berger, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2023 Her selection to the Jamaican national team helped salve that disappointment. Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2023 But her ministrations aren’t quite enough to salve the imperial insecurities, as unrest threatens to unravel man and state. Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2021 Instead, the author’s emphasis is more contemporary and results-oriented: Why, for instance, might the Jewish practice of covering mirrors salve the sting of grief? Matthew Hutson, WSJ, 30 Sep. 2021 His reappearance carries grave risks not only for Bolsonaro, who is facing multiple criminal inquiries and the possibility of arrest on a wide range of alleged wrongdoing, but also for Brazil, whose barely salved political wounds Bolsonaro’s inflammatory politicking could reopen. Marina Dias, Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2023 Officials and analysts hope the deal will give Israel more security, allow Lebanon greater leeway in the future to salve its crippling energy and financial crises, and provide Europe with a potential new source of gas amid energy shortages caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Patrick Kingsley, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Oct. 2022 Both are plenty smart, and as in most good partnerships (and good marriages), their respective strengths salve their weaknesses, while their long history prevents serious friction. Randall Lane, Forbes, 10 Sep. 2021 To help salve the pain, the state is planning to do something that has generated quite a lot of controversy: pump more water from underground aquifers to allow farmers who would otherwise be cut off from irrigation water to continue growing crops in the desert. Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 30 Mar. 2019 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'salve.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English sealf; akin to Old High German salba salve, Greek olpē oil flask

Verb (2)

back-formation from salvage

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

circa 1706, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of salve was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near salve

Cite this Entry

“Salve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/salve. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

salve

1 of 2 noun
ˈsav How to pronounce salve (audio)
ˈsȧv
: a healing ointment

salve

2 of 2 verb
salved; salving
: to ease or soothe with or as if with a salve

Medical Definition

salve

noun
ˈsav How to pronounce salve (audio) ˈsäv How to pronounce salve (audio) ˈsȧv How to pronounce salve (audio)
ˈsalv,
ˈsälv
: an unctuous adhesive substance for application to wounds or sores

More from Merriam-Webster on salve

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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