Etymology
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emollient (adj.)

"softening, making soft or supple," 1640s, from French émollient (16c.), from Latin emollientem (nominative emolliens), present participle of emollire "to make soft, soften," from assimilated form of ex "out" (see ex-) + mollire "soften," from mollis "soft" (from PIE root *mel- (1) "soft"). The noun, "a therapeutic agent or process which softens and relaxes living tissues," is recorded from 1650s.

updated on May 23, 2021

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