soap
part of speech
noun (soap, soaps; a bar of soap); verb (soap, soaps, soaped, soaping)
meaning for a pupil
1) Soap is what you use with water to wash and clean your body or things. tree →
2) A soap (soap opera) is a TV or radio story about the lives of the same people that goes on for years. tree →
3) To soap is to rub soap on something. tree →
sense in the lessons
bars of soap counted, bought in packs, used up over days; in everyday life and health: wash your hands with soap and water for about 20 seconds, before eating and after the toilet; in science: soap breaks up grease and helps wash germs away; phrases: «a bar of soap», «soap and water», «liquid soap», «soap bubbles»
examples
- A pack has 4 bars of soap. tree →
- One bar of soap costs $2. tree →
- A bar of soap lasts 10 days. tree →
- How many bars of soap are in 6 packs? tree →
- Wash your hands with soap and warm water. tree →
- Soap helps to wash germs off your skin. tree →
- We blew soap bubbles in the garden. tree →
- Grandma watches her favourite soap every evening. tree →
- Don't get soap in your eyes! tree →
- He tried to stick it on with soap from the bathroom, but that also failed. tree →
note
Counted in bars; «per pack» marks equal groups. «Soap» as stuff is uncountable (some soap); count it with «bars of soap». Health: soap and water is better than water alone.
In the corpora
- Vivid example: in a Leeds corner shop, Auntie Bev holds up a magazine: "SOAP STAR'S SECRET HEARTBREAK!
- Palm oil is in many foods and soaps, so choosing products from better-run plantations can help the forest.
- Grease does not dissolve in water; soap links grease and water so it can be rinsed away, and warm water helps.
- Soap is slightly alkaline and feels slippery; strong alkalis like oven cleaner can burn skin badly.
- Yellow turmeric turns reddish-brown with an alkali, so a curry stain can turn red when washed with soap.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «soap» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.