Demulcent is an adjective that means soothing or relieving irritation. It can also be used as a noun that refers to something that soothes.

The Latin prefix D-E means away, while mulcere (mool CHAIR ay) means ‘to soothe.’ This is the origin of our word of the day. When used as a noun it refers to something that soothes pain or irritation away. As an adjective, it describes the substance doing the soothing, for example: The cream didn’t have the demulcent effect I was hoping for. The irritation in my arm continued even after using it.