emollient

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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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