SALVE
What does "SALVE" mean?
A soothing ointment applied to the skin to heal wounds or relieve pain.
Meanings
- A medicinal ointment used to protect or heal the skin. She rubbed a little salve into the chapped corners of his mouth.
- Something that soothes or eases distress, guilt, or hurt feelings. The apology was a salve to her wounded pride. figurative
- To soothe or appease a feeling, often a troubled conscience. He donated to charity to salve his conscience after the layoffs.
Word origin
From Old English 'sealf', an ointment, related to Dutch 'zalf' and German 'Salbe'; all from a Proto-Germanic root for a greasy healing substance.
Remember it
SALVE shares its first letters with SALVAGE - both rescue something damaged, one a wound, one a wreck.
A little poem
A fingertip of grease across the burn-
the body, given quiet, takes its turn.
couplet
Wordplay
- The cream that fixed my pride and the cream that fixed my elbow were the same jar - both were a salve.
What it teaches
Comfort does not cure; it only buys the wound the quiet it needs to heal itself.
Quick facts
What does SALVE mean?
A soothing ointment applied to the skin to heal wounds or relieve pain.
Is SALVE a valid word?
Yes — SALVE is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is SALVE?
SALVE has 5 letters and 1 syllable.
Where does SALVE come from?
From Old English 'sealf', an ointment, related to Dutch 'zalf' and German 'Salbe'; all from a Proto-Germanic root for a greasy healing substance.
What can SALVE teach us?
Comfort does not cure; it only buys the wound the quiet it needs to heal itself.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.