abstergent

[ ab-stur-juhnt ]
See synonyms for abstergent on Thesaurus.com
adjective
noun
  1. a cleansing agent, as a detergent or soap.

Origin of abstergent

1
1605–15; <Latin abstergent-, stem of abstergēns, present participle of abstergēre to wipe off, equivalent to abs-abs- + tergēre to wipe; see -ent

Words Nearby abstergent

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for abstergent

abstergent

/ (əbˈstɜːdʒənt) /


adjective
  1. cleansing or scouring

Origin of abstergent

1
C17: from Latin abstergent-, abstērgens wiping off, from abs- away, off + tergēre to wipe

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012