# detergent

Pronunciation: say "di-TUR-juhnt" US /dɪˈtɝd͡ʒənt/, UK /dɪˈtɜːdʒənt/

## Noun

1. A non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant used for washing.
   - Simple: A cleaning product, usually man-made, used instead of soap to wash things.
   - _Modern laundry detergent lifts stains better than old-fashioned soap._
   - _Many detergents contain enzymes that break down protein stains._

## Adjective

2. Having a cleansing action; able to remove dirt or impurities.
   - Simple: Able to clean or wash dirt away.
   - _Rainwater alone has little detergent effect on the soot caked onto old stone buildings._
   - _Chemists tested the solution for its detergent properties before adding it to the formula._

## Origin

From French détergent, from Latin dētergēns, the present participle of dētergeō, which is made from dē ("off") plus tergeō ("wipe, polish").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/detergent (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).