deterge

[ dih-turj ]

See synonyms for deterge on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),de·terged, de·terg·ing.

to wipe or wash away; cleanse.
to cleanse of impurities or undesirable matter, as a wound.

Origin of deterge

First recorded in1615–25; from French déterger, from Latin dētergēre “to wipe off,” equivalent to dē- prefix indicating removal + tergēre “to wipe”; see origin at de-

Other words from deterge

de·ter·gen·cy, noun

Words Nearby deterge

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for deterge

deterge

/ (dɪˈtɜːdʒ) /

verb

(tr) to wash or wipe away; cleanse: to deterge a wound

Origin of deterge

C17: from Latin dētergēre to wipe away, from de- + tergēre to wipe

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

Browse