noun
Etymology
Origin of cleanser
before 1000; Middle English; Old English clǣnsere; see cleanse, -er 1
Explanation
A substance you use to scour, scrub, or wash something is a cleanser. Even if you sweep the kitchen floor every day, eventually you'll need to give it a deep clean with a mop and a cleanser. Cleanser and cleaner are very similar, and they can be swapped in usage. However, it's more common to save cleanser for the stuff used to do the cleaning, rather than the person who cleans. You might wash your face with a special cleanser every night, or sprinkle a powerful cleanser in the tub to get it extra clean. And a palate cleanser is something (like sorbet) that clears tastes from your mouth before you taste something else.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
By the time you’re invited to nibble the pulp off seeds straight from a tamarind pod, a palate cleanser before dessert, you may have forgotten that the island you’re on is Manhattan.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026
But for many people, trying to analyse the ingredients list on a bottle of moisturiser, cleanser or serum can be overwhelming.
From BBC • Dec. 13, 2025
Fennel is inescapable here, dotting the tables of nearly every Italian-American household, often served raw as a palate cleanser.
From Salon • Mar. 23, 2025
A gentle cleanser, a hydrating moisturizer and a good sunscreen are recommended and appropriate for any age.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 21, 2024
Despite the heavy musk of cigarettes, sweat, cleanser, and beer in our room, I could actually smell the sweet paper scent of a book.
From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
