Emolliates

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Causes something, often skin or tissue, to become softer and more pliable by applying a substance or treatment
2. Makes a surface or material less rough or hard, particularly by using a lotion or cream
3. Reduces firmness or hardness, typically referring to skin or delicate tissue, by means of a softening agent

Etymology: "Emolliates" is the third-person singular form of "emolliate," a verb meaning to make something, often skin or tissue, softer and more pliable. The verb's history runs through its root "emollient." That root comes from Latin "emollire," meaning "to soften," built from "e-" (out, thoroughly) and "mollire," "to make soft," which is itself related to "mollis," meaning soft. The Latin root is literal and physical: it described softening things, not making ideas or people gentler. English took "emollient" to describe substances that soothe or soften, and "emolliate" follows the same pattern, making the verb a direct action on a body or surface. The shared Latin base also gives English "mollify," which once meant the same kind of softening before taking on the sense of calming someone's anger.

Synonyms: soothes, softens, relieves, calms, alleviates

Antonyms: harshens, aggravates