detergent
any of a group of synthetic, organic, liquid or water-soluble cleaning agents that, unlike soap, are not prepared from fats and oils, are not inactivated by hard water, and have wetting-agent and emulsifying-agent properties.
a similar substance that is oil-soluble and capable of holding insoluble foreign matter in suspension, used in lubricating oils, dry-cleaning preparations, etc.
any cleansing agent, including soap.: Compare anionic detergent, cationic detergent, synthetic detergent.
cleansing; purging.
Origin of detergent
1Other words from detergent
- non·de·ter·gent, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use detergent in a sentence
The finest qualities of wool are washed with soft soap and potash, while for inferior qualities, cheaper detergents are employed.
Detergents clean the surfaces over which they pass, such as soap.
Mrs. Hale's Receipts for the Million | Sarah Josepha HaleNo toasters, video sets, geiger counters, ray guns or portable garbage detergents.
The Mighty Dead | William Campbell GaultThe country spends 500 million USD annually on totally unnecessary consumption (cars, jam, detergents).
After the Rain | Sam VakninIt occurs in body wastes, in artificial fertilizers, as a by-product of natural decay, and very notably in detergents.
The Nation's River | United States Department of the Interior
British Dictionary definitions for detergent
/ (dɪˈtɜːdʒənt) /
a cleansing agent, esp a surface-active chemical such as an alkyl sulphonate, widely used in industry, laundering, shampoos, etc
having cleansing power
Origin of detergent
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for detergent
[ dĭ-tûr′jənt ]
A cleaning agent that increases the ability of water to penetrate fabric and break down greases and dirt. Detergents act like soap but, unlike soaps, they are derived from organic acids rather than fatty acids. Their molecules surround particles of grease and dirt, allowing them to be carried away. Compare soap.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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