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dishwasher detergent

dishwasher detergent

1 2.1
A cleaning product made for dishwashers that makes little or no suds
  • noun
  • /ˈdɪʃˌwɔʃər dɪˈtɜrɡənt/
translation icon : detergente para lavavajillas
  • Washing your car with your leftover dishwasher detergent just doesn't do the same job as formulated car wash soap.
  • automatic dishwasher detergent
  • free dishwasher detergent

Examples

  • Put in two cups of good quality powdered dishwasher detergent.

    Blog text (32)
  • Automate everything you can—I love Amazon Mom, and I have diapers, wipes, and dishwasher detergent shipped to us on a schedule so we never run out.

    Blog text (19)
  • (I also made a batch of dishwasher detergent, which uses some of the same ingredients) but haven't tried it yet.

    Blog text (5)
  • I opened the cabinet and saw a small box of dishwasher detergent.

  • Look for phosphate-free automatic dishwasher detergent.

  • Put in two cups of good quality powdered dishwasher detergent.

Synonyms

dishwashing detergent
vsdishwasher detergent
  • US
1 2.0

A cleaning product made for use in dishwashers that makes little foam when washing plates and pots

has identical meaning but uses a different noun form in the name

How Effective

dishwasher detergent
1 2.1

Surface Forms

Morphology

dishwasher + detergent

The meaning 'a cleaning product formulated for use in dishwashers' is directly derivable from combining 'dishwasher' (machine that cleans dishes) with 'detergent' (a cleaning substance). This noun–noun composition follows a regular, cross-linguistic pattern of specification (detergent for dishwashers), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Dishwasher detergent is named for the simple idea of a detergent made for a dishwasher. It means a 'cleaning product' made to wash dishes with few bubbles, so the machine does not overflow and works well.