Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Javelle water

Javelle water

9.1
A liquid used to bleach clothes or kill germs
  • noun
  • /dʒəˈvɛl wɔːtər/
  • Archaic
translation icon : agua de Javelle
  • Because of its strong oxidizing properties, Javelle water must be handled with care.

Examples

  • The laboratory prepared Javelle water to use as a disinfectant during experiments.

  • To remove the stubborn stains, she treated the fabric with Javelle water.

  • You can use Javelle water to bleach your clothes.

  • Many people prefer Javelle waters for disinfection.

  • The hospital used Javelle water to disinfect the surgical instruments before operations.

  • Many household cleaners contain Javelle water due to its powerful bleaching properties.

  • You can mix Javelle water with water to create a potent solution for removing stains.

Synonyms

Javel water
vsJavelle water
  • Archaic
9.9

A strong liquid used to kill germs and remove stains

has identical meaning but is an alternative name or spelling
eau de Javelle
vsJavelle water
  • Archaic
9.9

A liquid bleach used to whiten clothes and clean surfaces

has identical meaning but differs only as another name or form

Surface Forms

Javelle water singular
Javelle waters plural

Morphology

Javelle + water

‘Javelle’ is a proper/name element with no transparent lexical meaning for learners, while ‘water’ only indicates a liquid; knowing both constituents does not allow a B1 learner to infer the specific sense ‘sodium hypochlorite bleach/disinfectant’. The term is a historical/brand-type name (from French eau de Javelle) and denotes a technical substance, so its bleaching/disinfecting meaning is not predictable from the parts.

Etymology

Javelle water comes from the Javel area of Paris. A factory there made a strong cleaning liquid called 'eau de Javel', so the place name became the word for the bleach or disinfectant we use today.