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To render less hard; -- said of matter. Their arrow's point they soften in the flame. Gay.

One who, or that which, softens. [Written also, less properly, softner.]

from Soften, v. Softening of the brain, or Cerebral softening (Med.), a localized softening of the brain substance, due to hemorrhage or inflammation. Three varieties, distinguished by their color and representing different stages of the morbid process, are known respectively as red, yellow, and white, softening.…

To soften, in a figurative sense; to allay, mitigate, ease, or lessen, as heat, pain, or grief; to appease or pacify, as passion or tumult; to satisfy, as appetite or desire. Refreshing winds the summer's heat assuage. Addison. To assuage the sorrows of a desolate old man Burke. The fount at which the panting mind assu…

To soften, mollify, or moderate; to soothe; to temper; as, to attemper rigid justice with clemency.

Leaf tobacco softened, sweetened, and pressed into plugs or cakes. Cut cavendish, the plugs cut into long shreds for smoking.

To parboil, or soften by boiling. It [the guava fruit] may be coddled. Dampier.

To modify or temper; to allay; to qualify; to moderate; to soften. [Obs.] The antidotes . . . have allayed its bitterness and contempered its malignancy. Johnson.

To soothe; to mollify; to pacify; to soften. [R.] Sir T. Elyot.

Softening; mollifying; soothing; assuasive; as, oil is demulcent.

To soften by heat and moisture; to expose to a gentle heat in a boiler or matrass, as a preparation for chemical operations.

ed, usually in water or other liquid, to a temperature above that of boiling, in order to soften them.

To convert into a liquid by means of heat, moisture, etc.,; to melt; to liquefy; to soften. As if the world were all dissolved to tears. Shak.

To soften; to render effeminate. Emolliated by four centuries of Roman domination, the Belgic colonies had forgotten their pristine valor. Pinkerton.

Softening; making supple; acting as an emollient. "Emollient applications." Arbuthnot.

The act of softening or relaxing; relaxation. Bacon.

Softening; milklike.

A figure in which a harts or indelicate word or expression is softened; a way of describing an offensive thing by an inoffensive expression; a mild name for something disagreeable.

Pertaining to euphemism; containing a euphemism; softened in expression. -- Eu`phe*mis"tic*al*ly, adv.

o summon men to their quarters in case of fire. -- Fire setting (Mining), the process of softening or cracking the working face of a lode, to facilitate excavation, by exposing it to the action of fire; -- now generally superseded by the use of explosives. Raymond. -- Fire ship, a vessel filled with combustibles, for…