soap plant
noun
a Californian plant, Chlorogalum pomeridianum, of the lily family, the bulb of which was used by the Indians as a soap.
any of various other plants having parts that can be used as a soap.
Origin of soap plant
1An Americanism dating back to 1835–45
Words Nearby soap plant
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use soap plant in a sentence
No fixed plan for the construction and equipment of a soap plant can be given.
Soap-Making Manual | E. G. ThomssenThe leaves of the soap-plant have been with us all the spring, increasing in length as the season has advanced.
The Wild Flowers of California: Their Names, Haunts, and Habits | Mary Elizabeth ParsonsThis is not the only plant popularly known as soap-plant among us.
The Wild Flowers of California: Their Names, Haunts, and Habits | Mary Elizabeth ParsonsThe "soap-plant" (amole) is one which appears to be among the most serviceable.
What I Saw in California | Edwin BryantEach Indian supplies himself with two dried stalks of the Mexican soap plant, about three-fourths of an inch in diameter.
Seven and Nine years Among the Camanches and Apaches | Edwin Eastman
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