From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdetergentde‧ter‧gent /dɪˈtɜːdʒənt $ -ɜːr-/ noun [countable, uncountable] DHa liquid or powder used for washing clothes, dishes etc
Examples from the Corpus
detergent• Scum is formed when soaps and detergents react with hard water.• A Skin is waterproof and keeps harmful materials such as detergents and allergic compounds out, and water in.• Wool sweaters felt too scratchy Clothes washed with certain detergents had a chemical smell.• Lead crystal glass Hot water and dishwasher detergent can cause pitting or cracking.• Oh, and by the way, have you heard about this hot new dishwashing detergent?• Wash the interior with baking soda water or mild detergent.• The bottle of detergent stood in reproachful isolation at one end of the table.• Only liberal applications of self-awareness, preferably with some therapeutic detergent, will enable you to leave it at home.Origin detergent (1600-1700) French détergent, from Latin tergere “to clean by rubbing” 