softener

/ˈsɔf(ə)nər/

/ˈsɒfɪnə/

Other forms: softeners

Definitions of softener

1. noun

   a substance added to another to make it less hard
   types:

   conditioner

   a substance used in washing (clothing or hair) to make things softer

   plasticiser, plasticizer

   a substance added to plastics or other materials to make them more pliable

   water softener

   a substance (such as sodium chloride) that lessens the hardness of water by replacing calcium and magnesium ions with sodium ions and so gives the water more efficient sudsing power

   zeolite

   any of a family of glassy minerals analogous to feldspar containing hydrated aluminum silicates of calcium or sodium or potassium; formed in cavities in lava flows and in plutonic rocks

   type of:

   chemical, chemical substance

   material produced by or used in a reaction involving changes in atoms or molecules