salve

¹ American  

[sav, sahv] / sæv, sɑv /

noun

1. a medicinal ointment for healing or relieving wounds and sores.

2. anything that soothes, mollifies, or relieves.

---

verb (used with object)

salved, salving

1. to soothe with or as if with salve; assuage.

   to salve one's conscience.

   Synonyms:

   mollify, alleviate, ease

salve ² American  

[salv] / sælv /

verb (used with or without object)

salved, salving

1. to save from loss or destruction; to salvage.

---

salve ³ American  

[sal-vee, sahl-wey] / ˈsæl vi, ˈsɑl weɪ /

interjection

1. hail!

---

salve ¹ British  

/ sælv, sɑːv /

noun

1. an ointment for wounds, sores, etc

2. anything that heals or soothes

---

verb

1. to apply salve to (a wound, sore, etc)

2. to soothe, comfort, or appease

salve ² British  

/ sælv /

verb

1. a less common word for salvage

2. an archaic word for save 1

---

Etymology

Origin of salve¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English noun salve, salwe, salf(e), Old English sealf, salf; cognate with German Salbe “ointment, salve,” Sanskrit sarpís “melted butter, fat”; verb derivative of the noun

Origin of salve²

First recorded in 1700–10; back formation from salvage

Origin of salve³

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin salvē! literally, “be in good health!”; salute

Related Words

• alleviate
• assuage
• mollify
• pacify
• unburden