softener Meaning, Definition & Usage
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noun a substance added to another to make it less hard
WordNet
Sof"ten*er noun
Definitions
One who, or that which, softens. Written also, less properly, softner.Water softener, a device which exchanges sodium ions for polyvalent metal cations in water, thus converting the "hard" mineral-containing water into "soft" water. This treatment renders the water more usable for washing, as the polyvalent cations interfere with the detergent action of soaps.
