softwear

English

Etymology

soft +‎ -wear

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈsɒftˌwɛə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈsɔftˌwɛɹ/
• (cot–caught merger, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈsɑftˌwɛɹ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Homophone: software
• Hyphenation: soft‧wear

Noun

softwear (uncountable)

1. (Barbados) athletic shoes, sneakers
   • 2011, M.T., Dear Christine, The Nation News (Barbados):

     I also need church shoes – size 3 or 4 – for my eight-year-old daughter [and] softwear and church clothes for a 12-year-old boy.

   • 2017, “Elderly man on police missing persons list”, in Daily, Barbados: Nation:

     At the time he was wearing a white T-shirt, long dress pants, and white softwear.

2. Misspelling of software.
   • 1995 August 1, ha...@eastcoast.co.za, “FAX ON DEMAND SOFTWEAR & HARDWEAR - Please help”, in comp.dcom.fax‎^[1] (Usenet), retrieved 2022-05-09:

     Please can someone point me in the right direction for advice on Hardwear & softwear.

   • 1998 February 14, nyarl-tep, “YOURE ALL FUCKIN DEAD!!!!!”, in alt.2600.phreakz‎^[2] (Usenet), retrieved 2022-05-09:

     and why is it in alt.2600.et al
     its not hardwear
     its not softwear
     its not cracks hacks or codes
     its not cards phreaks wearz or hz
     its a personallity belongs in a different catagory

References

• "Elderly man on police missing persons list", Daily Nation (Barbados), 2 January 2017
• "Police search for missing man", Barbados Today, 6 November 2016
• "Funny Fashion Misnomers: Barbados Edition"

Anagrams

• forwaste, software