emollient: M-W's Word of the Day

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The Word of the Day for August 6 is:

emollient \ih-MAHL-yunt\ noun
: something that softens or soothes

Example sentence:
Doctors wash their hands so often that many have to rely on a constant application of emollients to avoid having terribly dry skin.

Did you know?
"Emollient" derives from the present participle of the Latin verb "emollire," which, unsurprisingly, means "to soften or soothe." "Emollire," in turn, derives ultimately from "mollis," meaning "soft." Another descendant of "mollis" is "mollify" (essentially meaning "to make softer in temper or disposition"). A more distant relative is "mild," which can be traced back to the same ancient source as "mollis." The adjective "emollient" first appeared in print in English in 1626; the noun arrived on the scene about 30 years later.

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