Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Washing; cleansing; purifying.
  • noun In medicine: That which purifies the blood, or carries off impurities from the system, especially from the stomach and intestines; a detergent.
  • noun That which removes filth or viscid matter from ulcers or from the skin.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Washing away; carrying off impurities; detergent.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Washing away; carrying off impurities; detergent.
  • noun medicine A detergent.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin abluēns, present active participle of abluō ("I wash off or away; cleanse, purify"), from ab ("from, away from") + luō ("I wash, cleanse"). See lave.

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Examples

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Comments

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  • adj., Washing away; carrying off impurities; abstergent. Also n. (From Latin ablu-ĕre, 'to wash off or away.' Chiefly in medical use.)

    August 9, 2008