Saponaceous
Adjective
- Of, like, or containing soap; soapy.
Example Sentences
“A saponaceous substance is smeared all over the countertops.”
“Tim used a saponaceous liquid to clean the dirt off his tires.”
“The leaves felt saponaceous and slippery under our feet when the rain started.”
Word Origin
Latin, early 18th century
Why this word?
This word comes from the Latin “sapo,” meaning “soap,” plus the adjective-forming suffix “-ous.” “Saponaceous” describes substances used to make soap, such as aloe vera gel and glycerin, but it can also describe substances that have a soapy feel or appearance, like mica and some shales. Around the 19th century, the word had a brief stint of being used in a metaphorical sense to describe people who exhibit an evasive, slippery character.