What does detergent mean?

Definitions for detergent
dɪˈtɜr dʒəntde·ter·gent

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word detergent.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. detergentnoun

    a surface-active chemical widely used in industry and laundering

  2. detergentadjective

    a cleansing agent that differs from soap but can also emulsify oils and hold dirt in suspension

  3. detergent, detersiveadjective

    having cleansing power

Wiktionary

  1. detergentnoun

    Any non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant.

  2. detergentadjective

    Having the power to clean.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Detergentadjective

    That which cleanses.

    Etymology: from deterge.

    The food ought to be nourishing and detergent. Arbuthnot.

Wikipedia

  1. Detergent

    A detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with cleansing properties when in dilute solutions. There are a large variety of detergents, a common family being the alkylbenzene sulfonates, which are soap-like compounds that are more soluble in hard water, because the polar sulfonate (of detergents) is less likely than the polar carboxylate (of soap) to bind to calcium and other ions found in hard water.

ChatGPT

  1. detergent

    A detergent is a type of cleaning agent used to remove dirt, grime, stains, and other impurities from surfaces. It contains chemicals that break down or dissolve these impurities, making them easier to wash away with water. Detergents are commonly used in household cleaning, laundry, dishwashing, and personal hygiene products such as shampoos and body washes.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Detergentadjective

    cleansing; purging

  2. Detergentnoun

    a substance which cleanses the skin, as water or soap; a medicine to cleanse wounds, ulcers, etc

  3. Etymology: [L. detergens, -entis, p. pr. of detergere: cf. F. dtergent.]

Wikidata

  1. Detergent

    A detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with "cleaning properties in dilute solutions." These substances are usually alkylbenzenesulfonates, a family of compounds that are similar to soap but are more soluble in hard water, because the polar sulfonate is less likely than the polar carboxyl to bind to calcium and other ions found in hard water. In most household contexts, the term detergent by itself refers specifically to laundry detergent or dish detergent, as opposed to hand soap or other types of cleaning agents. Detergents are commonly available as powders or concentrated solutions. Detergents, like soaps, work because they are amphiphilic: partly hydrophilic and partly hydrophobic. Their dual nature facilitates the mixture of hydrophobic compounds with water. Because air is not hydrophilic, detergents are also foaming agents to varying degrees.

Editors Contribution

  1. detergent

    A type of product.

    There are a wide variety of detergent on the market and they come in various forms eg. capsule, liquid, powder etc.


    Submitted by MaryC on August 13, 2015  

Matched Categories

How to pronounce detergent?

How to say detergent in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of detergent in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of detergent in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of detergent in a Sentence

  1. Jen Luciana:

    It’s recommended to hand wash your bra in cold water with a gentle detergent or baby shampoo.

  2. Karen Burka:

    A lot of advertisers lined up to throw money at this stuff because they were caught up in the hysteria about the Web. But now they want to know how you make money selling a 1.59 bottle of dish detergent on the World Wide Web.

  3. Vincent Hill:

    In most situations, cleaning surfaces using soap or detergent, and not disinfecting, is enough to reduce the already low risk of virus transmission through surfaces, disinfecting surfaces is typically not necessary, unless a sick person or someone positive for Covid-19 has been in the home within the last 24 hours.

  4. Benny Loft:

    It's mainly due to the development in the United States, where we see strong competition between detergent makers, and that consumers are buying cheaper detergents with a lower level of enzymes.

  5. Melissa Piliang:

    I like a hypoallergenic detergent, one that’s made for sensitive skin, free of dyes or perfumes.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

detergent#10000#23535#100000

Translations for detergent

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

Get even more translations for detergent »

Translation

Find a translation for the detergent definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"detergent." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/detergent>.

Discuss these detergent definitions with the community:

0 Comments

    Are we missing a good definition for detergent? Don't keep it to yourself...

    Image or illustration of

    detergent

    Credit »

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Browse Definitions.net

    Quiz

    Are you a words master?

    »
    very close or connected in space or time
    A ravening
    B contiguous
    C ambidextrous
    D omnifarious

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for detergent: