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cleanser

American  
[klen-zer] / ˈklɛn zər /

noun

  1. a preparation for cleansing, as a liquid or powder for scouring sinks, bathtubs, etc., or a cream for cleaning the face.

  2. a person or thing that cleanses.

  3. Chiefly Eastern New England. a dry-cleaning establishment.

cleanser British  
/ ˈklɛnzə /

noun

  1. a cleansing agent, such as a detergent

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of cleanser

before 1000; Middle English; Old English clǣnsere; 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.

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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

The company just released its hydrating cream cleanser, joining other bestselling products like hand wash, face and body moisturizer, cleansing wipes and face and body oil.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 5, 2026

And after a local screwpine sorbet palate cleanser, Maldivian chefs slice up Wagyu tenderloin alongside baby leeks, eggplant, fennel pollen and coconut jus.

From Salon • Dec. 27, 2025

But for me, I should be the constant palate cleanser.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 12, 2025

In Phnom Penh, she often protected her skin with cleanser and moisturizers.

From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung

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.