soft-shoe
soft-shoe shuffle
soft-shoe dancing | tap dancing wearing shoes that have soft soles |
buyer's market
buyers' market
soft market | a market in which more people want to sell than want to buy |
| soft sell | suggestive or persuasive advertising |
soft-finned fish
malacopterygian | any fish of the superorder Malacopterygii |
soft-shelled turtle
pancake turtle | voracious aquatic turtle with a flat flexible shell covered by a leathery skin, can inflict painful bites |
soft tick
argasid | tick lacking a dorsal shield and having mouth parts on the under side of the head |
soft-shell clam
steamer
steamer clam
long-neck clam
Mya arenaria | an edible clam with thin oval-shaped shell found in coastal regions of the United States and Europe |
soft-shell crab
soft-shelled crab | edible crab that has recently molted and not yet formed its new shell |
| soft scale | an insect active in all stages |
brown soft scale
Coccus hesperidum | pest on citrus trees |
drygoods
soft goods | textiles or clothing and related merchandise |
| fail-safe | a mechanism capable of returning to a safe state in case there is a failure or malfunction |
| soft drug | a drug of abuse that is considered relatively mild and not likely to cause addiction |
| soft pedal | a pedal on a piano that moves the action closer to the strings and so soften the sound |
soft soap
green soap | a soft (or liquid) soap made from vegetable oils, used in certain skin diseases |
weak part
weak spot
soft spot | a place of especial vulnerability |
soft palate
velum | a muscular flap that closes off the nasopharynx during swallowing or speaking |
fontanelle
fontanel
soft spot | any membranous gap between the bones of the cranium in an infant or fetus |
| soft option | an easier alternative, the instructor took the soft option and gave the boy a passing grade |
| soft copy | (computer science) matter that is in a form that a computer can store or display it on a computer screen, he sent them soft copy of the report |
| soft news | news that does not deal with serious topics or events |
blarney
coaxing
soft soap
sweet talk | flattery designed to gain favor |
| soft spot | a sentimental affection, she had a soft spot for her youngest son |
soft diet
pap
spoon food | a diet that does not require chewing, advised for those with intestinal disorders |
frozen custard
soft ice cream | dessert resembling ice cream but with a boiled custard base |
| soft roll | yeastaised roll with a soft crust |
| soft pretzel | a pretzel made of soft bread |
soft-shell clam
steamer
steamer clam
long-neck clam | a clam that is usually steamed in the shell |
soft-shell crab
soft-shelled crab | freshly molted crab with new shell still tender and flexible |
milt
soft roe | fish sperm or sperm-filled reproductive gland, having a creamy texture |
| soft drink | nonalcoholic beverage (usually carbonated) |
chump
fool gull
mark
patsy
fall guy
sucker soft touch
mug | a person who is gullible and easy to take advantage of |
bulrush bullrush common rush
soft rush
Juncus effusus | tall rush with soft erect or arching stems found in Eurasia, Australia, New Zealand, and common in North America |
creeping soft grass
Holcus mollis | European perennial grass with soft velvety foliage |
| soft wheat | wheat with soft starch kernels used in pastry and breakfast cereals |
soft corn
flour corn
squaw corn
Zea mays amylacea | corn having kernels almost entirely of soft starch |
lesser bullrush
narrow-leaf cattail
narrow-leaved reedmace
soft flag
Typha angustifolia | reed maces of America, Europe, North Africa, Asia |
soft tree fern
Dicksonia antarctica | of Australia and Tasmania, often cultivated, hardy in cool climates |
soft shield fern
Polystichum setiferum | European shield fern cultivated in many varieties |
| soft money | political contributions made in such a way as to avoid the United States regulations for federal election campaigns (as by contributions to a political action committee) |
| soft rot | mushy or slimy decay of plants caused by bacteria or fungi |
| soft solder | solder that melts at a relatively low temperature |
bituminous coal
soft coal | rich in tarry hydrocarbons, burns readily with a smoky yellow flame |
| soft glass | glass having a relatively low softening point |
| soft water | water that is not hard (does not contain mineral salts that interfere with the formation of lather with soap) |
| fail | get worse, Her health is declining |
fail
go bad give way
die give out
conk out
go break break down | stop operating or functioning, The engine finally went, The car died on the road, The bus we travelled in broke down on the way to town, The coffee maker broke, The engine failed on the way to town, her eyesight went after the accident |
| fail run out give out | prove insufficient, The water supply for the town failed after a long drought |
| soft-soap | use flattering talk on somebody |
| soft-soap | persuade someone through flattery |