Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 11th Edition
DETERGENT
I. adjective
Date: 1616
that cleanses ; cleansing ,
II. noun
Date: 1676
a cleansing agent: as, soap , any of numerous synthetic water-soluble or liquid organic preparations that are chemically different from soaps but are able to emulsify oils, hold dirt in suspension, and act as wetting agents, an oil-soluble substance that holds insoluble foreign matter in suspension and is used in lubricating oils and dry-cleaning solvents