Demulcent
adj, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Definitions
- 1 A soothing medication used to relieve pain in inflamed tissues.
"Indians of the West Coast used preparations of prickly-pear to treat wounds, burns, contusions, warts, and even to facilitate childbirth. Modern herbalists recognize the plant's slippery-oily juice as a useful emollient and demulcent, which may be used externally to soothe dry, irritated skin or internally as a diuretic or anti-inflammatory agent for the digestive and urinary tracts."
- 2 a medication (in the form of an oil or salve etc.) that soothes inflamed or injured skin wordnet
- 1 Soothing or softening. also, figuratively
"In continual hectic Heats, and if the ſweet Juices, by a continued ſlow Fever, acquire a ſaltiſh alcaline Acrimony, Cream and new Butter, on Account of their demulcent Qualities, are found to produce excellent Effects."
- 1 having a softening or soothing effect especially to the skin wordnet
Example
More examples"In continual hectic Heats, and if the ſweet Juices, by a continued ſlow Fever, acquire a ſaltiſh alcaline Acrimony, Cream and new Butter, on Account of their demulcent Qualities, are found to produce excellent Effects."
Etymology
From Latin dēmulcēns, present active participle of dēmulceō (“to stroke caressingly; to soften, soothe, allure”), from dē- (“from; of”) + mulceō (“to move or touch gently or lightly, to stroke; to make pleasant or sweet; to soften, soothe, alleviate, relieve”).
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.