different between emollient vs balsam

English

Etymology

From French émollient, from Latin emolli?ns, present active participle of ?molli? (“make soft”), from ex- + molli?, from mollis (“soft”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??m?l.?.?nt/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /??m?l.j?nt/

Noun

emollient (plural emollients)

1. Something which softens or lubricates the skin; moisturizer.
   • 2008, Carol A. Miller, Nursing for Wellness in Older Adults (Fifth edition), Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, p. 505,

     [T]he effectiveness of an emollient is based on its ability to prevent water evaporation, […]

2. Anything soothing the mind, or that makes something more acceptable.
   • 2004, David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas,

     Attentive conversation is an emollient I lack sorely aboard Prophetess & the doctor is a veritable polymath.

Translations

Adjective

emollient (comparative more emollient, superlative most emollient)

1. Moisturizing.
2. Soothing or mollifying.

Translations

Related terms

• mollify

Latin

Verb

?mollient

1. third-person plural future active indicative of ?molli?

English

Alternative forms

• balsem, balsum, balsome

Etymology

From Middle English *balsam, balsme, from Old English balsam, balsamum (“balsam, balm”), from Latin balsamum, from Ancient Greek ???????? (bálsamon, “balsam”), of Semitic origin (Hebrew ????? (“spice, perfume”)). Doublet of balm.

Pronunciation

• (UK) enPR: bôl?s?m, IPA^(key): /?b??ls?m/

Noun

balsam (countable and uncountable, plural balsams)

1. (chiefly Britain) A sweet-smelling oil or resin derived from various plants.
2. (chiefly Britain) A plant or tree yielding such substance.
3. (chiefly Britain) A soothing ointment.
4. (chiefly Britain, figuratively) Something soothing.

   Classical music is a sweet balsam for our sorrows

5. A flowering plant of the genus Impatiens.
6. The balsam family of flowering plants (Balsaminaceae), which includes Impatiens and Hydrocera.
7. A balsam fir Abies balsamea.
8. Canada balsam, a turpentine obtained from the resin of balsam fir.

Synonyms

• (sweet-smelling oil): balm
• (plant or tree): balm
• (soothing ointment): balm
• (something soothing): balm
• (flowering plant of the genus Impatiens): jewelweed, impatiens, touch-me-not

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

See also

• Impatiens on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Verb

balsam (third-person singular simple present balsams, present participle balsaming, simple past and past participle balsamed)

1. (transitive) To treat or anoint with balsam.

Anagrams

• lambas, sambal

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish balsam(m), balsaim(e), from Latin balsamum, from Ancient Greek ???????? (bálsamon).

Noun

balsam m (genitive singular balsaim)

1. (medicine) balsam, balm
2. balsam (plant)

Declension

Derived terms

Mutation

Further reading

• "balsam" in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
• Gregory Toner, Maire Ní Mhaonaigh, Sharon Arbuthnot, Dagmar Wodtko, Maire-Luise Theuerkauf, editors (2019) , “balsam(m), balsaim(e)”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Polish

Etymology

From Old Polish balsam or balszam, from Latin balsamum, from Ancient Greek ???????? (bálsamon, “balsam”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?bal.sam/

Noun

balsam m inan

1. (technical) balsam (“a sweet-smelling oil or resin derived from various plants”)
2. (cosmetics, medicine, pharmacology) lotion (“a low-viscosity topical preparation intended for application to skin”)
3. (historical) a substance used in thanatopraxy (“embalming of corpses”), specifically any substance used for this practice in Ancient Egypt.
4. (figuratively) balsam (“something soothing”)

Declension

Synonyms

• (oil or resin): ?ywica
• (lotion): krem, mleczko, tonik
• (something soothing): otucha, ukojenie

Related terms

• balsamowanie
• balsamista
• balsamowiec
• balsamowa?
• balsamiczny
• balsamowy
• balsamowaty
• balsamicznie

See also

• natron
• mumifikacja

Further reading

• balsam in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romanian

Etymology

From Latin balsamum. Appears since 17th century. Probably entered Romanian through multiple routes, with the most common form from Italian balsamo, or through use in old medicinal practice. A now archaic variant form valsam derived from Greek ??????? (válsamo). Cf. also German Balsam.

Noun

balsam n (plural balsamuri)

1. balsam (clarification of this definition is needed)
2. unction, balm, salve, unguent

Derived terms

• b?ls?ma

References