[ dih-turj ]
/ dɪˈtɜrdʒ /
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verb (used with object), de·terged, de·terg·ing.
to wipe or wash away; cleanse.
to cleanse of impurities or undesirable matter, as a wound.
QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!
Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.
Question 1 of 7
“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
Origin of deterge
First recorded in1615–25; from French déterger, from Latin dētergēre “to wipe off,” equivalent to dē- prefix indicating removal + tergēre “to wipe”; see origin at de-
OTHER WORDS FROM detergede·ter·gen·cy, noun
Words nearby deterge
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
British Dictionary definitions for deterge
/ (dɪˈtɜːdʒ) /
(tr) to wash or wipe away; cleanseto deterge a wound
Word Origin for deterge
C17: from Latin dētergēre to wipe away, from de- + tergēre to wipe
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012