soapstone

[sohp-stohn]

soap·stone

[sohp-stohn]
noun
a massive variety of talc with a soapy or greasy feel, used for hearths, washtubs, tabletops, carved ornaments, etc.
Also called steatite.


Origin:
1675–85; soap + stone
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Soapstone is always a great word to know.
So is gobo. Does it mean:
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
Collins
World English Dictionary
soapstone (ˈsəʊpˌstəʊn)
 
n
Also called: steatite a massive compact soft variety of talc, used for making tabletops, hearths, ornaments, etc
 
[C17: so called because it has a greasy feel and was sometimes used as soap]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
soapstone   (sōp'stōn')  Pronunciation Key 
A soft metamorphic rock composed mostly of the mineral talc, but also including chlorite, pyroxene, and amphibole. It has a schistose texture and is greasy to the touch. Soapstone forms through the alteration of ferromagnesian silicate minerals during metamorphism.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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