demulcent
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of demulcent
1725–35; < Latin dēmulcent- (stem of dēmulcēns, present participle of dēmulcere to stroke down, soften), equivalent to dē- de- + mulc ( ere ) to soothe + -ent- -ent
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Honey acts as a demulcent, meaning it calms down irritated tissues by coating them.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 31, 2022
You can hear it in the Weeknd’s demulcent falsetto, in Rihanna’s unruffled cool, in Drake’s creamier verses, even in Justin Bieber’s buffed edges.
From Washington Post • Apr. 19, 2017
While the absence of menthol in most Luden’s flavors make them toothsome, they do, unlike, say, Life Savers, contain pectin, a demulcent, which coats irritated mucous membranes.
From New York Times • Dec. 2, 2011
The divine then composes his spirits "by the gentle sedative of a large cup of tea, the demulcent of a well-buttered muffin, and the tonic of a small lobster."
From The Guardian • Apr. 16, 2010
Modern practitioners likewise commend its restorative, mucilaginous and demulcent qualities as rendering it of considerable utility, particularly in sea scurvy, diarrhœa, dysentery, and stone or gravel.
From Aphrodisiacs and Anti-aphrodisiacs: Three Essays on the Powers of Reproduction by Davenport, John
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
