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
Words Nearby detergent
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use detergent in a sentence
If there are tough stains, you can use some mild detergent and presoak the blanket for 10 to 15 minutes in cool water.
Best heated throw blanket: Bundle up with these electric blankets | PopSci Commerce Team | February 11, 2021 | Popular-ScienceHowever, if you wash your garment with detergent, then you will want to immediately reapply DWR, he advises.
Bottles of laundry detergent—and beer—have subbed in as weights.
How Olympic Athletes Are Coping with the Wait for the Postponed 2021 Games | Sean Gregory | January 12, 2021 | TimeFinding a stain-removing companion for your typical cleaning products and detergents can often be a trial-and-error process that leaves your home interior or wardrobe at risk.
Powerful stain removers to fight tough blemishes | PopSci Commerce Team | January 6, 2021 | Popular-ScienceI use ½ cup vinegar instead of detergent, and I add ½ cup baking soda to the load.
A new report says laundry detergent pods are sending 20,000 kids to the hospital each year.
Kids Eat the Darndest Things: Laundry Pods, Teething Necklaces, and More Of The Weirdest Stuff Sending Kids to the E.R. | Russell Saunders | November 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTI now see that by the standards of modern American society, I do something comparable to concocting my own laundry detergent.
He swore under his breath and twisted the valve that was supposed to dispense detergent.
The Bramble Bush | Gordon Randall GarrettHe was thoroughly wet with the stuff and no amount of water and detergent would take it off.
The Bramble Bush | Gordon Randall GarrettHot water is itself a detergent; that is, it has the power of dissolving dirt.
Household Administration | VariousSuch soap possesses very powerful detergent qualities, but it is apt to feel hard and be somewhat gritty in use.
A Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures and Mines | Andrew UreIts detergent action is sometimes supposed to be due to the free alkali, whereas a well-made soap is practically neutral.
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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