To soothe, calm, or appease someone by gentle means.
From Latin 'demulcere,' combining 'de-' (down/away) and 'mulcere' (to stroke/caress). This meaning developed from the literal sense of gentle touching to metaphorical calming.
The root 'mulcere' literally means to stroke like petting an animal—so when you demulce someone, you're metaphorically stroking their emotions into calmness, which is why it feels almost obsolete now but incredibly poetic.
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