adjective
Etymology
Origin of abstergent
1605–15; < Latin abstergent-, stem of abstergēns, present participle of abstergēre to wipe off, equivalent to abs- abs- + tergēre to wipe; see -ent
Explanation
An abstergent is a cleansing agent, like soap or hydrogen peroxide. If a substance is abstergent, it can be used to wash away impurities. You'll most often see the word abstergent used in medical or botanical texts (as some plants, such as witch hazel, have abstergent properties). The word can be used as either a noun, as in "Soap is a common abstergent in households and medical clinics," or an adjective, as in "The doctor used an abstergent solution to clean the wound." The word comes from the Latin ab-, meaning "away," and stergere, meaning "to wipe."
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.
