[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

soften \sof"ten\, v. t. imp.  p. p. softened; p. pr.  vb.
   n. softening.
   to make soft or more soft. specifically: 
   1913 webster
   a to render less hard; -- said of matter.
       1913 webster

             their arrow's point they soften in the flame.
                                                  --gay.
       1913 webster
   b to mollify; to make less fierce or intractable.
       1913 webster

             diffidence conciliates the proud, and softens the
             severe.                              --rambler.
       1913 webster
   c to palliate; to represent as less enormous; as, to soften
       a fault.
       1913 webster
   d to compose; to mitigate; to assuage.
       1913 webster

             music can soften pain to ease.       --pope.
       1913 webster
   e to make calm and placid.
       1913 webster

             all that cheers or softens life.     --pope.
       1913 webster
   f to make less harsh, less rude, less offensive, or less
       violent, or to render of an opposite quality.
       1913 webster

             he bore his great commision in his look,
             but tempered awe, and softened all he spoke.
                                                  --dryden.
       1913 webster
   g to make less glaring; to tone down; as, to soften the
       coloring of a picture.
       1913 webster
   h to make tender; to make effeminate; to enervate; as,
       troops softened by luxury.
       1913 webster
   i to make less harsh or grating, or of a quality the
       opposite; as, to soften the voice.
       1913 webster
see also:
softened softening 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

softening \sof"tening\,
   a.  n. from soften, v.
   1913 webster

   softening of the brain, or cerebral softening med., a
      localized softening of the brain substance, due to
      hemorrhage or inflammation. three varieties, distinguished
      by their color and representing different stages of the
      morbid process, are known respectively as red, yellow, and
      white, softening.
      1913 webster
see also:
soften softening of the brain cerebral softening 

[3] : WordNet (r) 2.0

softening
     adj : having a softening or soothing effect especially to the skin
           syn: demulcent, emollient, salving
     n : the process of becoming softer; "refrigeration delayed the
         softening of the fruit"; "he observed the softening of
         iron by heat"
see also:
demulcent emollient salving 

[4] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

126 moby thesaurus words for "softening":
   abatement, abating, allaying, allayment, alleviating, alleviation,
   alleviative, allowance, altering, analgesia, analgesic, anesthesia,
   anesthetic, anesthetizing, anodyne, appeasement, assuagement,
   assuaging, assuasive, attenuation, attrition, balmy, balsamic,
   benumbing, blunting, bounding, calming, cathartic, chastening,
   cleansing, color, cushioning, dampening, damping, deadening,
   debilitation, decontamination, demulcent, demulsion,
   devitalization, dilution, diminishing, diminishment, diminution,
   dulcification, dulling, ease, easement, easing, effemination,
   emollient, enervation, enfeeblement, evisceration, exhaustion,
   extenuating, extenuating circumstances, extenuation, extenuative,
   extenuatory, falling-off, fatigue, gilding, gloss, hushing,
   inanition, languishment, laxation, leniency, lenitive, lessening,
   letdown, letup, lightening, limitative, limiting, loosening,
   lulling, mellowing, mitigating, mitigation, mitigative, mitigatory,
   modificatory, modifying, modulation, modulatory, mollification,
   mollifying, numbing, pacification, padding, pain-killing,
   palliation, palliative, purgative, qualification, qualificative,
   qualificatory, qualifying, quietening, quieting, reducing,
   reduction, relaxation, relaxing, relief, relieving, remedial,
   remedy, remission, restricting, restrictive, salving, slackening,
   softening-up, soothing, subduement, subduing, tempering, thinning,
   tranquilization, varnish, weakening, whitewash, whitewashing

Softening >> S Words
Softening, definition of term: Softening
softening_pag1.html

Hot Water Heaters - Suburban Water Heater and Softening Co.
... ..
http://www.suburbanwaterheater.com/, score=100, date indexed=December 30, 2005, 11:18 am

L'Occitane Shea Butter Softening Hands Scrub: Loccitane
...... 27Occitane Shea Butter Softening Hands Scrub is like a softening mask ... Hands Scrub is like a softening mask for your hands, this 15 minute ... ..
http://www.miam-miam.co.uk/x2251.html, score=83, date indexed=January 15, 2006, 4:00 pm

Water softening systems
...Softening units offer a water purification solution for hard water and ... For all your questions on softening move to the water softener FAQ a ... ..
http://www.lenntech.com/softening.htm, score=66, date indexed=December 29, 2005, 6:33 pm

Salt-Free Water Softening
...Join Thousands Who Have Overcome. The Burdens Of Salt-Softening... ... softening, natural and environment friendly! ... ..
http://www.soft-water.com/, score=65, date indexed=December 30, 2005, 3:54 pm

Softening of 'No Child Left Behind' | csmonitor.com
...Softening of 'No Child Left Behind'. Facing election-year criticism, ... ..
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0316/p03s01-uspo.html, score=57, date indexed=January 24, 2006, 8:50 am

water softening
...1. Water softening. Water softening URL: http://www.british-salt.co.uk ... full softening or 26 MGD if split ... enhance the lime softening ... ..
http://www.neis.com/chemnames/W/water_softening.asp, score=55, date indexed=November 19, 2005, 9:20 am

water softening
...1. Water softening. Water softening URL: http://www.british-salt.co.uk ... operating costs for water softening, wastewater BOD and hardness ... ... ..
http://www.chemindustry.com/chemnames/W/water_softening.asp, score=52, date indexed=November 12, 2005, 11:15 pm

Magnetic Magic - The Economical Hard Water Softening System
...Your Magnetic Magic water softening system will pay for itself in ... There is growing concern about salt based water softening systems. In ... ..
http://www.mtnhigh.com/magidx.html, score=52, date indexed=January 19, 2006, 9:01 pm

CNN.com - Exiles softening toward Cuba - Feb. 20, 2003
...Exiles softening toward Cuba. Tomas Perdomo, a former political ... ..
http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/South/02/20/cuban.shift.ap/index.html, score=51, date indexed=February 1, 2006, 3:28 pm

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