Soap
/soʊp/noun
A substance used with water for washing and cleaning.
Did you know?The classic Latin explanation connects soap with *sapo*, a word associated in later Roman writing with a hair-washing paste made from fat and ashes, showing how everyday cleaning grew out of early practical chemistry.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*saipǭ
“Soap or soap-like washing substance”
Old English
OE
sāp
“Soap”
Latin
Latin
sapo
“Soap; a soap-like substance used by Gauls and Germans”
Old French
OF
saop
“Soap”
Middle English
English
sope
“Soap”
Modern English
English
soap
“A substance used for washing and cleaning”