salve

/sɑ:v/

Thân thiện

He applied a soothing salve to the small cut on his finger.

Definition

1. Noun:

   • A soothing ointment: A semisolid preparation, often containing medicine, applied to the skin to heal, protect, or soothe irritation.
   • A source of comfort or remedy: Something that soothes emotional pain, distress, or a troubled conscience.

2. Verb:

   • To apply a salve: To put a healing or soothing ointment on a wound or sore.
   • To soothe or ease: To calm or alleviate mental distress, anxiety, or guilt.
   • To save from ruin: (Archaic) To rescue or preserve from destruction or loss.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • She applied a medicated salve to the burn.
  • His kind words were a salve for her wounded feelings.
• Verb:
  • He salved the cut with an antiseptic cream.
  • She tried to salve her conscience by making a donation.
  • (Archaic) The captain worked to salve the cargo from the sinking ship.

Advanced Usage

• "A salve for the soul": Something that provides deep emotional or spiritual comfort.
  • The peaceful music was a salve for the soul after a stressful day.
• "To salve one's pride": To do something to ease wounded pride or self-esteem.
  • Winning the small argument did little to salve his bruised pride after the larger defeat.

Variants and Related Words

• Salver (n): A tray, typically made of silver, on which items are presented. (Note: This is a different word with a different origin, often confused with "salve").
• Salvation (n): Preservation or deliverance from harm, ruin, or loss. Shares the archaic "save" root with the verb "to salve."

Synonyms

• Noun (ointment): Ointment, balm, cream, unguent, lotion.
• Noun (comfort): Solace, comfort, consolation, relief.
• Verb (soothe): Soothe, alleviate, assuage, mollify, palliate.
• Verb (save): Rescue, salvage, recover, redeem.

Related Phrases

• Lip salve: A balm specifically for soothing chapped lips.
  • He always carries lip salve in the winter.
• Healing salve: An ointment explicitly made to promote the healing of wounds.
  • The herbalist prepared a natural healing salve.

Idioms

• No salve for it: There is no comfort or remedy for a particular situation.
  • He knew an apology was no salve for the betrayal.

Học thuật

Noun

1. anything that remedies or heals or soothes
   • he needed a salve for his conscience
2. semisolid preparation (usually containing a medicine) applied externally as a remedy or for soothing an irritation

Verb

1. apply a salve to, usually for the purpose of healing
2. save from ruin, destruction, or harm

Từ đồng nghĩa

• ointment
• unction
• unguent
• balm
• salvage
• relieve
• save