Salve (rhymes with “have”) is a healing ointment that you rub on your skin to soothe pain or help injuries heal. When you get a bad scrape from falling off your bike, you might put antibiotic salve on it to prevent infection and speed healing. Salves are usually thick and greasy, made from ingredients like petroleum jelly, beeswax, or oils mixed with healing herbs or medicines.

People have been making salves for thousands of years. Before modern medicine, families would make their own salves from plants like calendula or comfrey to treat cuts, burns, and rashes. Today you can buy salves at any pharmacy: lip salve for chapped lips, burn salve for minor burns, or muscle salve for sore muscles after sports.

As a verb, salve means to soothe or comfort, especially emotional hurt. After losing a tough soccer game, a coach's encouraging words might salve disappointed players. A kind gesture can salve hurt feelings. In this sense, salve means anything that makes emotional pain feel better, just like the ointment does for physical pain.