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Webster 1913 Edition

Soft

Soft

(sŏft; 115)
,
Adj.
[
Com
par.
Softer
(sŏft′ẽr)
;
sup
erl.
Softest
.]
[OE.
softe
, AS.
sōfte
, properly adv. of
sēfte
, adj.; akin to OS.
sāfto
, adv., D.
zacht
, OHG.
samfto
, adv.,
semfti
, adj., G.
sanft
, LG.
sacht
; of uncertain origin.]
1.
Easily yielding to pressure; easily impressed, molded, or cut; not firm in resisting; impressible; yielding; also, malleable; – opposed to
hard
;
as, a
soft
bed; a
soft
peach;
soft
earth;
soft
wood or metal.
2.
Not rough, rugged, or harsh to the touch; smooth; delicate; fine;
as,
soft
silk; a
soft
skin.
They that wear
soft
clothing are in king’s houses.
Matt. xi. 8.
3.
Hence, agreeable to feel, taste, or inhale; not irritating to the tissues;
as, a
soft
liniment;
soft
wines
.
“The soft, delicious air.”
Milton.
4.
Not harsh or offensive to the sight; not glaring; pleasing to the eye; not exciting by intensity of color or violent contrast;
as,
soft
hues or tints
.
The sun, shining upon the upper part of the clouds . . . made the
softest
lights imaginable.
Sir T. Browne.
5.
Not harsh or rough in sound; gentle and pleasing to the ear; flowing;
as,
soft
whispers of music
.
Her voice was ever
soft
,
Gentle, and low, – an excellent thing in woman.
Shakespeare
Soft
were my numbers; who could take offense?
Pope.
6.
Easily yielding; susceptible to influence; flexible; gentle; kind.
I would to God my heart were flint, like Edward's;
Or Edward's
soft
and pitiful, like mine.
Shakespeare
The meek or
soft
shall inherit the earth.
Tyndale.
7.
Expressing gentleness, tenderness, or the like; mild; conciliatory; courteous; kind;
as,
soft
eyes
.
A
soft
answer turneth away wrath.
Prov. xv. 1.
A face with gladness overspread,
Soft
smiles, by human kindness bred.
Wordsworth.
8.
Effeminate; not courageous or manly, weak.
A longing after sensual pleasures is a dissolution of the spirit of a man, and makes it loose,
soft
, and wandering.
Jer. Taylor.
9.
Gentle in action or motion; easy.
On her
soft
axle, white she paces even,
And bears thee soft with the smooth air along.
Milton.
10.
Weak in character; impressible.
The deceiver soon found this
soft
place of Adam's.
Glanvill.
11.
Somewhat weak in intellect.
[Colloq.]
He made
soft
fellows stark noddies, and such as were foolish quite mad.
Burton.
12.
Quiet; undisturbed; paceful;
as,
soft
slumbers
.
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
(Zool.)
,
the common or long clam (
Mya arenaria
). See
Mya
.
–
Soft coal
,
bituminous coal, as distinguished from anthracite, or hard, coal.
–
Soft crab
(Zool.)
,
any crab which has recently shed its shell.
–
Soft dorsal
(Zool.)
,
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
(Zool.)
,
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
(Zool.)
,
any river tortoise of the genus Trionyx. See
Trionyx
.

Soft

,
Noun.
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

,
int
erj.
Be quiet; hold; stop; not so fast.
Soft
, you; a word or two before you go.
Shakespeare

Webster 1828 Edition

Soft

SOFT

,
Adj.
1.
Easily yielding to pressure ; the contrary of hard; as a soft bed; a soft peach; soft earth.
2.
Not hard; easily separated by an edged instrument; as soft wood. The chestnut is a soft wood, but more durable than hickory, with is a very hard wood. So we say, a soft stone, when it breaks or is hewed with ease.
3.
Easily worked; malleable; as soft iron.
4.
Not rough, rugged or harsh; smooth to the touch; delicate; as soft silk; soft raiment a soft skin.
5.
Delicate; feminine; as the softer sex.
6.
Easily yielding to persuasion or motives flexible; susceptible of influence or passion. In both these senses, soft is appiled to females, and sometimes males; as a divine of a soft and servile temper. One king is too soft and easy.
7.
Tender; timorous. However soft within themselves they are, to you they will be valiant be despair.
8.
Mild; gentle; kind; not severe or unfeeling; as a person of a soft nature.
9.
Civil; complaisant; courteous; as a person of soft manners. He has a soft way of asking favors.
10.
Placid; still; easy. On her soft axie while whe paces even, she bears thee soft with the smooth air along.
11.
Effeminate; viciouly nice. An idle soft course of life is the source of crminal pleasures.
12.
Delicate; elegantly tender. Her form more soft and feminine.
13.
Weak; impressible. The deceive soon found this soft place of Adam's [Not elegant.]
14.
Gentle; smooth or melodious to the ear. not loud, rough or harsh; as a soft voice or note; a soft sound; soft accents; soft whispers.
15.
Smooth; flowing; not rough or vehement. The solemn nightingale tun'd her soft lays. Soft were my numbers, who could take offense?
16.
Easy; quiet; undisturbed; as soft slumbers.
17.
Mild to the eye; not strong or glaring; as soft colors; the soft coloring of a picture. The sun shining on the upper part of the clounds, made the softes light imaginable.
18.
Mild; warm; pleasant to the feelings; as soft air.
19.
Not tinged with an acid; not hard; not astringent; as, soft water is the best for washing.
20.
Mild; gentle; not rough, rude or irritating. A soft answer turneth away wrath. Prov. 15.

SOFT

,
adv.
Softly; gently; quietly.

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