I. -jənt adjective
Etymology: French or Latin; French détergent, from Latin detergent-, detergens, present participle of detergēre
: cleansing
II. noun
( -s )
: a cleansing agent: as
a. : soap
b. : an inorganic alkali, an alkaline salt (as a sodium phosphate or a sodium silicate), or a mixture of such compounds for use especially in cleaning metals (as in dairy equipment) — called also alkaline detergent
c. : any of a large number of synthetic water-soluble or liquid organic surface-active agents for use in washing that resemble soaps in the ability to emulsify oils and hold dirt in suspension but differ in other respects (as in nonprecipitation of calcium and magnesium salts from hard water and in chemical composition) — called also synthetic detergent ; see anionic detergent , cationic detergent , nonionic detergent ; compare wetting agent
d. : an oil-soluble substance that holds insoluble foreign matter in suspension and is used in lubricating oils and dry-cleaning solvents