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The quality or state of being soft; -- opposed to Ant: hardness, and used in the various specific senses of the adjective.

eir size or figure, the act is called abstraction. So, also, when it considers whiteness, softness, virtue, existence, as separate from any particular objects.

A quality or attribute in distinction from the substance, as sweetness, softness.

n of serum in the cellular tissue, producing a morbid enlargement, often accompanied with softness.

To be a characteristic of; to make, or express the character of. The softness and effeminacy which characterize the men of rank in most countries. W. Irving.

Mildness or softness of the elements; as, the clemency of the season.

Nicety or fineness of form, texture, or constitution; softness; elegance; smoothness; tenderness; and hence, frailty or weakness; as, the delicacy of a fiber or a thread; delicacy of a hand or of the human form; delicacy of the skin; delicacy of frame.

e down I sink my head, Sleep, Death's twin brother, times my breath. Tennyson. Thou bosom softness, down of all my cares! Southern.

Characteristic quality of a woman, such as softness, luxuriousness, delicacy, or weakness, which is unbecoming a man; womanish delicacy or softness; -- used reproachfully of men. Milton.

The state of being effeminate; unmanly softness. Fuller.

rive of masculine vigor or spirit; to weaken; to render effeminate; to vitiate by unmanly softness. Luxury had not emasculated their minds. V. Knox.

That degree of softness in a body beginning to melt which alters its shape; the first or lowest degree of fusibility.

e quality or state of being gentle, well-born, mild, benevolent, docile, etc.; gentility; softness of manners, disposition, etc.; mildness.

Wanting softness or smoothness of utterance; harsh; as, a hard tone.

Softness; mildness; propitiousness; as, kindliness of weather, or of a season. Fruits and corn are much advanced by temper of the air and kindliness of seasons. Whitlock.

or quality of being lenient; mildness of temper or disposition; gentleness of treatment; softness; tenderness; clemency; -- opposed to severity and rigor. His exceeding lenity disposes us to be somewhat too severe. Macaulay.

, an elastic mineral pitch, a variety of bitumen, resembling caoutchouc in elasticity and softness. See Caoutchouc, and Elaterite. -- Mineral chameleon (Chem.) See Chameleon mineral, under Chameleon. -- Mineral charcoal. See under Charcoal. -- Mineral cotton. See Mineral wool (below). -- Mineral green, a green carb…

Unnatural softness of any organ or part. Dunglison.

Softness; effeminacy; weakness. [R.]

Delicacy or softness in the representation of flesh.