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soapstone

noun

  1. type of metamorphic rock
L328073 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈsoʊpˌstoʊn/

noun

Etymology: From soap + stone; so called because the archetypal varieties of the stone resemble soap in multiple ways: their feel, appearance, and carvability. First use appears c. 1681, in the writings of Nehemiah Grew.

  1. A soft rock, rich in talc, also containing serpentine and either magnetite, dolomite or calcite.

    “To have a reliable fire, you'll need to carve a lamp from soapstone (you know what soapstone looks like, right?), render some oil for the lamp from blubber, and make a wick out of a particular species of moss.”

  2. Synonym of saponite.

verb

Etymology: From soap + stone; so called because the archetypal varieties of the stone resemble soap in multiple ways: their feel, appearance, and carvability. First use appears c. 1681, in the writings of Nehemiah Grew.

  1. To scrub with soapstone.