noun
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a substance applied to the body to suppress or mask the odour of perspiration or other body odours
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( as modifier ) Compare antiperspirant
a deodorant spray
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any substance for destroying or masking odours, such as liquid sprayed into the air
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of deodorant
Explanation
Deodorant is a substance that covers up the smell of sweat. You might use deodorant in the summer, applying it under your arms every morning. Deodorant is used to mask the smell of body odors or perspiration, either by keeping you from sweating or by killing the bacteria that can grow in sweaty areas of the body. Most deodorants also have a flowery or musky smell that's meant to overwhelm less pleasant smells. In the mid-1800s, a deodorant was "a substance meant to quell the odor of manure" on a farm or in a garden.
Vocabulary lists containing deodorant
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.
Stoya: I’m having a really intense reaction here, and feel I should disclose my bias: Deodorant gives me a distractingly uncomfortable rash.
From Slate • Jun. 18, 2021
The Eir Deodorant Stick might send the message to the gift receiver that you think they stink, but the convenience and natural makeup is something they'll appreciate regardless.
From Golf Digest • Dec. 17, 2018
One Saturday, I slicked on a Ms. & Mrs. Deodorant Towelette, a refill for the brand’s diminutive emergency kits.
From New York Times • Aug. 17, 2011
Deodorant and hair spray will cost you $3.
From Washington Post • Mar. 21, 2011
Driving from station to station, he traded reels of identification jingles for free commercial time for Ever-Dry Deodorant, a company of which Tanner also happened to be national sales manager.
From Time Magazine Archive
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.
