soap

noun

\ ˈsōp

Definition of soap

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

soap

verb

soaped; soaping; soaps

Definition of soap (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to rub soap over or into

2 : flatter

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about soap

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Examples of soap in a Sentence

Noun

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.

Verb

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

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Her eyes told her there was nothing there, that chemicals bounding in her brain couldn’t be washed away with soap on her hands. — Joshua Sharpe, ajc, "Meth, ‘the Devil’s drug,’ is back and killing more people than ever," 4 July 2018 Only the headiest of soaps for our mother earth (and your dirty body). — Blanca Myers, WIRED, "From Mats to Hoodies, 9 Ways to Elevate Your Yoga Practice," 24 June 2018 At one such ceremony in Dangabol, in southeast Chad, Dr. Hubert Zirimwabagabo, who heads the Carter Center’s work in the country, played a quiz game with the audience, handing out bars of soap as prizes. — New York Times, "Nearly Eradicated in Humans, the Guinea Worm Finds New Victims: Dogs," 18 June 2018 Walker pointed to the checkout counter, large shelves, the jewelry table, little round displays, and a cabinet holding soaps all from Jan and Pizazz. — Chuck Gibson, Cincinnati.com, "Alley Boutique first to reopen after historic Loveland fire," 15 June 2018 In the past, the market has hosted children’s activities like painting pots and filling them with succulents or making soap in the shape of superheros. — Allison Bagley, Houston Chronicle, "Young entrepreneurs grow business acumen at farmers’ markets," 13 June 2018 Turning cattle hides into leather is just one of many uses for cattle carcasses, which humans have been exploiting since early civilizations made food containers from intestines and soap from fat. — Lydia Mulvany And Lindsey Rupp, latimes.com, "As leather shoes drop out of favor, cattle hides pile up," 12 June 2018 And still others assembled hygiene kits at Clean the World, the Orlando nonprofit that purifies and recycles soap for distribution around the globe. — Kate Santich, OrlandoSentinel.com, "For many, Pulse 2-year mark means acts of love and kindness," 12 June 2018 Less than a week later, Niyonsaba celebrated by showing up at the Prince Regent Charles hospital in Bujumbura, Burundi bearing gifts of rice, beans, sugar and soap for desperately poor patients. — Ken Goe, OregonLive.com, "Malaria couldn't stop Francine Niyonsaba, who takes on Caster Semenya in the Prefontaine Classic 800," 24 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

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

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.

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Dictionary Entries near soap

Phrases Related to soap

soap powder

Statistics for soap

Last Updated

8 Sep 2018

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for soap

The first known use of soap was before the 12th century

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More Definitions for soap

soap

noun

English Language Learners Definition of soap

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a substance that is used for washing something

soap

verb

English Language Learners Definition of soap (Entry 2 of 2)

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

See the full definition for soap in the English Language Learners Dictionary

soap

noun

\ ˈsōp

Kids Definition of soap

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a substance that is used for washing

soap

verb

soaped; soaping

Kids Definition of soap (Entry 2 of 2)

: to rub a cleaning substance over or into something

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