soap

noun \ ˈsōp \

Updated on: 20 May 2018

Definition of soap

1 a : a cleansing and emulsifying agent made usually by action of alkali on fat or fatty acids and consisting essentially of sodium or potassium salts of such acids

b : a salt of a fatty acid and a metal

2 : soap opera

See soap defined for English-language learners

See soap defined for kids

Examples of soap in a Sentence

Make sure you use soap and water to wash your hands.
The store sells many different brands of liquid soaps.
Her first acting job was on a soap.

Recent Examples of soap from the Web

Opened in December, the 55-room hotel is set in a former candle-and-soap-manufacturing facility.

— BostonGlobe.com, "A wick(ed) good time at this former candle factory," 16 May 2018
Schools had leaking roofs, broken desks, no soap in the restrooms, and drastic teacher shortages.

— margaret newkirk, Bloomberg.com, "The Kochs Helped Slash State Taxes. Now Teachers Are in the Streets," 16 May 2018
Because her family put money in her commissary, DaLuise could acquire small comforts, like a travel-sized bottle of Head & Shoulders shampoo and Neutrogena face soap to augment the lye bar.

— catherine womack, Los Angeles Magazine, "An L.A. Aesthetician Once Accused of Murder for Hire Is Now Offering “Killer Facials”," 15 May 2018
What's more irritating than a public bathroom stall that's out of toilet paper or a sink without soap?

— david pogue, Scientific American, "These Apps Don't Exist Yet--but They Should," 15 May 2018
Highlights of the morning will include a sheep shearing demonstration at 10 a.m. Children can make a nesting ball, take home a soap felting kit and try their hand at needle felt.

— Courant Community, "Community News For The Vernon Edition," 15 May 2018
As the son of the company’s founder, the Dr. Bronner, Jim Bronner spent his childhood in and out of foster homes while his dad toured California giving away soap and spreading his philosophy.

— j. harry jones, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Jim Bronner of Dr. Bronner's soap empire honored with YMCA gym dedication," 12 May 2018
SkinOwl founder Annie Tevelin says that there are a few reasons for the soap-bar resurgence.

— refinery29.com, "This Will Make You Want To Give Bar Soap Another Chance," 11 May 2018
The catch, of course, is that the recovery oil was simply bath soap.

— alex hutchinson, Outside Online, "The Ultimate (Evidence-Based) Guide to Recovery," 9 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'soap.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of soap

Middle English sope, from Old English sāpe; akin to Old High German seifa soap

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

soap Synonyms

Synonyms

cleaner, cleanser, detergent;

Related Words

disinfectant, purifier, solvent;

scrub, shampoo;

soap

verb

Definition of soap

transitive verb

1 : to rub soap over or into

2 : flatter

See soap defined for English-language learners

Examples of soap in a Sentence

I soap my hair first when I take a shower.
He soaped and rinsed the car.

Recent Examples of soap from the Web

Bush soaped down her new stepchildren and outfitted them with her own kids’ clothes.

— gillian brockell, Washington Post, "Abraham Lincoln’s ‘angel mother’ and the second ‘mama’ who outlived him," 12 May 2018
Justin Jones was soaping his 309-pound body when his phone rang.

— dan woike, latimes.com, "Chargers break down where they improved most in the NFL draft and why they didn't draft a quarterback," 29 Apr. 2018
Kids strung ropes across sidewalks to trip people in the dark, tied the doorknobs of opposing apartments together, mowed down shrubs, upset swill barrels, rattled or soaped windows, and, once, filled the streets of Catalina Island with boats.

— lesley bannatyne, Smithsonian, "When Halloween Was All Tricks and No Treats," 27 Oct. 2017
Wait for the drop while getting soaped up: This party involves fives hours of EDM music, thousands of gallons of foam, flashing lights, and roughly 7,000 people.

— tarpley hitt, Philly.com, "The world's largest foam party and three other things to do down the shore, June 30-July 2," 28 June 2017
In the 1950s and 1960s, Bradley Group Showers marketed its water-saving column showers with posters of topless schoolboys happily soaping down together.

— j.y. chua, The Atlantic, "Bathing in Controversy," 2 June 2017

First Known Use of soap

1585

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

SOAP Defined for English Language Learners

soap

noun

Definition of soap for English Language Learners

: a substance that is used for washing something

soap

verb

Definition of soap for English Language Learners

: to rub soap over or into (someone or something)

SOAP Defined for Kids

soap

noun \ ˈsōp \

Definition of soap for Students

: a substance that is used for washing

soap

verb

Definition of soap for Students

soaped; soaping

: to rub a cleaning substance over or into something

Medical Dictionary

soap

noun \ ˈsōp \

medical Definition of soap

1 : a cleansing and emulsifying agent made usually by action of alkali on fat or fatty acids and consisting essentially of sodium or potassium salts of such acids

2 : a salt of a fatty acid and a metal