From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsalvesalve1 /sælv, sɑːv $ sæv/ noun [countable, uncountable] MDa substance that you put on sore skin to make it less painful SYN balm lip salve
Examples from the Corpus
salve• Our goal is to provide a salve for consumers' fears.• The acceptance of the idea provided him with a curious salve for his guilt.• No touchdowns for the Cowboys, but $ 35 million is a pretty good salve for the old ego.• Can smell the graphite salve, like the smell in a garage.• The graphite salve has iron filings in it, temples scratching.• That would be a neat salve for trade friction.• Send gloves, if you can, and some salve.• Her face was always carefully rouged, her mouth daubed generously with salve.salvesalve2 verb [transitive] formal → salve your conscience→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
salve• However the appointment of staff to fill the new posts meant that our overall complement was little changed and consciences were salved.• But she brought them because it salved her conscience to bring something, and she had not been for two weeks now.• Perhaps, he thought, it helps to salve her own conscience.• Converse had salved his ear in vaseline and bandaged it with cotton and gauze.• I was powerless to salve his guilt, but I felt my own.• The international community has so far salved its conscience by voicing a succession of pious hopes.• We are there to salve their conscience and to administer their guilt money.• Often you can salve their indignation and solve this problem by rewording the sentence.Origin salve1 Old English sealf 