suint

American

[soo-int, swint] / ˈsu ɪnt, swɪnt /

noun

the natural grease of the wool of sheep, consisting of a mixture of fatty matter and potassium salts, used as a source of potash and in the preparation of ointments.

suint British

/ ˈsuːɪnt, swɪnt /

noun

a water-soluble substance found in the fleece of sheep, consisting of peptides, organic acids, metal ions, and inorganic cations and formed from dried perspiration

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of suint

1785–95; < French, Middle French, equivalent to su ( er ) to sweat (< Latin sūdāre; sweat ) + -in suffix of mass nouns (as in crottin dung); -t after oint, past participle of oindre to rub with oil, anoint

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Suint, swint, n. the natural grease of wool.

From Project Gutenberg

The "yolk" or "suint" of wool, originating from the perspiration of the animal, has long been a source of crude potash.

From Project Gutenberg

All unwashed wool contains a fatty or greasy matter called yolk or suint.

From Project Gutenberg

The washing of wool is in the main a mechanical process, in which the water dissolves out the suint while the soap emulsifies the yolk and thus removes it from the fibre.

From Project Gutenberg

The incrusting substance is technically known as "Yolk," or "Suint," and is principally composed of a kind of natural soap, consisting of the potash salts of certain fatty acids, together with some fats which are incapable of saponification.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023