Etymology of the English word detergent
the English word
detergentderived from the Latin word
detergensderived from the Latin word
detergere (remove, take away; break to pieces; wipe, clean off, away)
using the Late Latin prefix
de-derived from the Latin word
de (away; down)
derived from the Latin word
tergere (rub, wipe; wipe off)
Date
The earliest known usage of detergent in English dates from the 17th century.
Usage
Word found in Modern English
