From Latin dētergēre 'to wipe away' — originally a medical term for wound-cleansing agents.
A synthetic cleaning agent that acts as a surfactant to remove dirt and grease.
From Latin dētergentem, present participle of dētergēre 'to wipe away, clean off,' from dē- 'away' + tergēre 'to rub, polish, wipe.' Originally an adjective meaning 'cleansing' (used in medicine for wound-cleaning substances), it became a noun for synthetic cleaners in the 1930s. Key roots: *terh₁- (Proto-Indo-European: "to rub, turn, bore").