washing powder
1
1.6
- noun
- /ˈwɔʃɪŋ ˈpaʊdər/
- UK
:
detergente en polvo
- I prefer using washing powder because it removes stains effectively.
Examples
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The shop sells different brands of washing powder for all types of fabrics.
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When laundry day comes, I always make sure to buy enough washing powder.
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Here is the washing powder.
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Remember, our washing powder is biological.
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My daughter has bad reactions to almost all washing powders.
Blog text (5) -
Housewives, it's thanks to Sparkle biological washing powder that their whites are whiter than ever.
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After lunch at Mario's again, we explored the other side of the village where the shops and bars petered out to be replaced with narrow streets of local houses where the smell of fresh moussaka and Tide washing powder seeped out from behind the windows and doors.
Blog text (14)
Synonyms
70
2.7
A liquid or powder that cleans clothes and surfaces
16
1.0
A liquid or powder that cleans clothes in a washing machine
1
1.0
A powder used to clean clothes in a washing machine
Powder that has extra cleaning chemicals to remove stains
Small thin pieces of soap that dissolve in water to make bubbles
How Strong
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a detergent in powdered form for washing clothes' is directly and transparently built from 'washing' (the action of cleaning) + 'powder' (a fine dry substance). This straightforward noun–noun composition is common across languages (e.g., 'detergente en polvo', 'lessive en poudre') so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Washing powder comes from a simple, literal idea: washing + powder. It is soap in dry form that you scoop into the machine to clean clothes, so the name now means 'a detergent in powdered form'.