detergent
pronunciation
How to pronounce detergent in British English:
UK [dɪˈtɜːdʒənt]
How to pronounce detergent in American English:
US [dɪˈtɜːrdʒənt]
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- Noun:
- a surface-active chemical widely used in industry and laundering
- a cleansing agent that differs from soap but can also emulsify oils and hold dirt in suspension
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- Adjective:
- having cleansing power
Word Origin
- detergent
- detergent: [17] A detergent is literally something that ‘wipes away’. The word comes from dētergent-, the present participial stem of Latin dētergēre, a compound verb formed from dē- ‘away’ and tergēre ‘wipe’ (its past participle produced English terse). English detergent originally meant simply ‘cleansing agent’ (used particularly in a medical or surgical context); the specific application to a cleanser made from synthetic chemical compounds (as opposed to soap, which is made from fats and lye) is a 20thcentury development.=> terse
- detergent (adj.)
- 1610s, from Latin detergentem (nominative detergens), present participle of detergere "to wipe away, cleanse," from de- "off, away" (see de-) + tergere "to rub, polish, wipe." Originally a medical term, application to "chemical cleansing product" is from 1938.
- detergent (n.)
- "detergent substance," 1670s, from detergent (adj.).
Example
- 1. The detergent diluted the fertiliser 's fatal dose .
- 2. If the clothes are really dirty use more detergent
- 3. In addition to that we also use cloth diapers , but washing those requires only a minimal amount of detergent .
- 4. Their dream is to sell beer like premium-priced detergent , using uniform global marketing campaigns organised from head office .
- 5. Never use water and dishwashing detergent , because it can weaken surface wood fibers .