soapstone
/ˈsoʊpˌstoʊn/ noun, verb
Forms soapstones soapstoning soapstoned
- noun (geology) A soft rock, rich in talc, also containing serpentine and either magnetite, dolomite or calcite.
- noun (mineralogy) Synonym of saponite.
- verb (transitive) To scrub with soapstone.
Synonyms
Etymology
From soap + stone; so called because the archetypal varieties of the stone resemble soap in multiple ways: their feel, appearance, and carvability. First use appears c. 1681, in the writings of Nehemiah Grew.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “soapstone”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details