different between operate vs soften

English

Etymology

From Latin oper?tus, past participle of oper?r? (“to work, labor, toil, have effect”), from opus, operis (“work, labor”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??p??e?t/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /??p??e?t/
• Hyphenation: op?er?ate

Verb

operate (third-person singular simple present operates, present participle operating, simple past and past participle operated)

1. (transitive or intransitive) To perform a work or labour; to exert power or strength, physical or mechanical; to act.
2. (transitive or intransitive) To produce an appropriate physical effect; to issue in the result designed by nature; especially (medicine) to take appropriate effect on the human system.
3. (transitive or intransitive) To act or produce effect on the mind; to exert moral power or influence.
   • September 28, 1706, Francis Atterbury, a sermon

     The virtues of private persons operate but on a few.

   • 1720, Jonathan Swift, A Letter to a Young Clergyman

     A plain, convincing reason operates on the mind both of a learned and ignorant hearer as long as they live.

4. (medicine, transitive or intransitive) To perform some manual act upon a human body in a methodical manner, and usually with instruments, with a view to restore soundness or health, as in amputation, lithotomy, etc.
5. (transitive or intransitive) To deal in stocks or any commodity with a view to speculative profits.
6. (transitive or intransitive) To produce, as an effect; to cause.
7. (transitive or intransitive) To put into, or to continue in, operation or activity; to work.

Derived terms

• inter-operate
• operatable

Related terms

Translations

References

• operate in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• operate in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Italian

Adjective

operate pl

1. plural of operata

Verb

operate

1. second-person plural present of operare
2. second-person plural imperative of operare
3. feminine plural past participle of operare

Anagrams

• poetare
• poeterà

Latin

Participle

oper?te

1. vocative masculine singular of oper?tus

English

Etymology

From Middle English softenen, softnen, equivalent to soft +? -en.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?s?f?n/, enPR: s?f?en
• (US) IPA^(key): /?s?f?n/, enPR: sôf?en
• (US, cot–caught merger, Canada) IPA^(key): /?s?f?n/, enPR: s?f?en

Verb

soften (third-person singular simple present softens, present participle softening, simple past and past participle softened)

1. (transitive) To make something soft or softer.

   Soften the butter before beating in the sugar.

2. (transitive) To undermine the morale of someone (often soften up).

   Before the invasion, we softened up the enemy with the artillery.

3. (transitive) To make less harsh

   Having second thoughts, I softened my criticism.
4. (intransitive) To become soft or softer

   The butter softened as it warmed up.

Derived terms

• soften the ground
• softener

Translations

See also

• mollify
• neshen

Anagrams

• Sefton