detergent
adj.
1610s, from Latin detergentem (nominative detergens), present participle of detergere "to wipe away, cleanse," from de- "off, away" (see de-) + tergere "to rub, polish, wipe." Originally a medical term, application to "chemical cleansing product" is from 1938.
n.
"detergent substance," 1670s, from detergent, adj..
〔李〕[de- =away离；terg =to wipe消除；-ent ⇒“a thing that wipes or cleanses dirts清除污物的东西”→] n. a substance used for cleansing洗涤剂