Saponaceous
/ˌsæpəˈneɪʃəs/noun
Having the nature of soap; soapy or slippery.
Did you know?Saponaceous comes through Latin saponaceus, from sapo meaning “soap,” and the same root gave rise to scientific words about fats and cleansing substances long before modern chemistry.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*seibʰ-
“to pour out, drip, or secrete”
Latin
Latin
sapo
“soap; a soapy substance”
Late Latin
Latin
saponaceus
“soapy, of the nature of soap”
16th Century
English
saponaceous
“having the qualities of soap; slippery or unctuous”
Modern English
English
saponaceous
“soapy; having a soap-like quality”
Explore more surprising origins