13. Having, or consisting of, a gentle curve or curves; not angular or
abrupt; as, soft outlines.
14. Not tinged with mineral salts; adapted to decompose soap; as, soft
water is the best for washing.
15. (Phonetics) (a) Applied to a palatal, a sibilant, or a dental
consonant (as g in gem, c in cent, etc.) as distinguished from a
guttural mute (as g in go, c in cone, etc.); -- opposed to hard. (b)
Belonging to the class of sonant elements as distinguished from the
surd, and considered as involving less force in utterance; as, b, d, g,
z, v, etc., in contrast with p, t, k, s, f, etc.
Soft clam (Zoöl.), the common or long clam (Mya arenaria). See Mya. --
Soft coal, bituminous coal, as distinguished from anthracite, or hard,
coal. -- Soft crab (Zoöl.), any crab which has recently shed its shell.
-- Soft dorsal (Zoöl.), the posterior part of the dorsal fin of fishes
when supported by soft rays. -- Soft grass. (Bot.) See Velvet grass. --
Soft money, paper money, as distinguished from coin, or hard money.
[Colloq. U.S.] -- Soft mute. (Phonetics) See Media. -- Soft palate. See
the Note under Palate. -- Soft ray (Zoöl.), a fin ray which is
articulated and usually branched. -- Soft soap. See under Soap. --
Soft-tack, leavened bread, as distinguished from hard-tack, or ship
bread. -- Soft tortoise (Zoöl.), any river tortoise of the genus
Trionyx. See Trionyx.
Soft (?), n. A soft or foolish person; an idiot. [Colloq.] G. Eliot.
Soft, adv. Softly; without roughness or harshness; gently; quietly.
Chaucer.
A knight soft riding toward them.
Spenser.
Soft, interj. Be quiet; hold; stop; not so fast.
Soft, you; a word or two before you go.
Shak.
Sof"ta (?), n. [Corruption of Per. s&?;khtah one who burns, is ardent
or zealous.] Any one attached to a Mohammedan mosque, esp. a student of
the higher branches of theology in a mosque school. [Written also
sophta.]
Sof"ten (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Softened (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Softening.] To make soft or more soft. Specifically: --
(a) To render less hard; -- said of matter.
Their arrow's point they soften in the flame.
Gay.
(b) To mollify; to make less fierce or intractable.
Diffidence conciliates the proud, and softens the severe.
Rambler.
(c) To palliate; to represent as less enormous; as, to soften a fault.
(d) To compose; to mitigate; to assuage.
Music can soften pain to ease.
Pope.
(e) To make calm and placid.
All that cheers or softens life.
Pope.
(f) To make less harsh, less rude, less offensive, or less violent, or
to render of an opposite quality.
He bore his great commision in his look, But tempered awe, and
softened all he spoke.
Dryden.
(g) To make less glaring; to tone down; as, to soften the coloring of a
picture.
(h) To make tender; to make effeminate; to enervate; as, troops
softened by luxury.
(i) To make less harsh or grating, or of a quality the opposite; as, to
soften the voice.
Sof"ten, v. i. To become soft or softened, or less rude, harsh, severe,
or obdurate.
Sof"ten*er (?), n. One who, or that which, softens. [Written also, less
properly, softner.]
Sof"ten*ing, a. & n. from Soften, v.
Softening of the brain, or Cerebral softening (Med.), a localized
softening of the brain substance, due to hemorrhage or inflammation.
Three varieties, distinguished by their color and representing
different stages of the morbid process, are known respectively as red,
yellow, and white, softening.
Soft"-finned` (?), a. (Zoöl.) Having the fin rays cartilaginous or
flexible; without spines; -- said of certain fishes.
Soft"-head`ed (?), a. Weak in intellect.
Soft"-heart`ed (?), a. Having softness or tenderness of heart;
susceptible of pity or other kindly affection; gentle; meek. --
Soft"-heart`ed*ness, n.
Soft"ish (?), a. Somewhat soft. De Witt Clinton.
Soft"ling (?), n. A soft, effeminate person; a voluptuary. [R.] Bp.
Woolton. .
Soft"ly, adv. In a soft manner.
Soft"ner (?), n. See Softener.
Soft"ness (?), n. [AS. s&?;ftness, s&?;ftnyss.] The quality or state of
being soft; -- opposed to hardness, and used in the various specific
senses of the adjective.
Soft"-shell` (?), Soft"-shelled` (?), } a. Having a soft or fragile
shell.
Soft-shell clam (Zoöl.), the long clam. See Mya. -- Soft-shelled crab.
(Zoöl.) See the Note under Crab, 1. -- Soft-shelled turtle. (Zoöl.)
Same as Soft tortoise, under Soft.
Soft"-spo`ken (?), a. Speaking softly; having a mild or gentle voice;
hence, mild; affable.
Sog"gi*ness (?), n. The quality or state of being soggy; soddenness;
wetness.
Sog"gy (?), a. [Compar. Soggier (?); superl. Soggiest.] [Cf. Icel.
söggr damp, wet, or E. soak.] Filled with water; soft with moisture;
sodden; soaked; wet; as, soggy land or timber.
So*ho" (?), interj. Ho; -- a word used in calling from a distant place;
a sportsman's halloo. Shak.
||Soi`-di`sant" (?), a. [F.] Calling himself; self-styled; pretended;
||would-be.
Soil (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Soiled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Soiling.]
[OF. saoler, saouler, to satiate, F. soûler, L. satullare, fr.
satullus, dim. of satur sated. See Satire.] To feed, as cattle or
horses, in the barn or an inclosure, with fresh grass or green food cut
for them, instead of sending them out to pasture; hence (such food
having the effect of purging them), to purge by feeding on green food;
as, to soil a horse.
Soil, n. [OE. soile, F. sol, fr. L. solum bottom, soil; but the word
has probably been influenced in form by soil a miry place. Cf. Saloon,
Soil a miry place, Sole of the foot.] 1. The upper stratum of the
earth; the mold, or that compound substance which furnishes nutriment
to plants, or which is particularly adapted to support and nourish
them.