deodorant
|de-o-dor-ant|
🇺🇸
/diːˈoʊdrənt/
🇬🇧
/diːˈəʊdrənt/
remove or prevent smell
Etymology
'deodorant' originates from French, specifically the word 'déodorant', formed from the prefix 'dé-' meaning 'remove' and the root from Latin 'odor' meaning 'smell'.
'deodorant' developed from French 'déodorant' (19th century), which itself was built from French 'odeur' (from Latin 'odor') combined with the prefix 'dé-' (from Latin 'de-'). The French term entered English as 'deodorant' and came to be used for products that remove or prevent odors.
Initially formed to mean 'something that removes or neutralizes smell', it has come to refer especially to personal-care products applied to the body and also to products for removing odors from objects or spaces.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a substance applied to the skin (usually under the arms) to prevent, mask, or neutralize body odor.
She put on deodorant before leaving the house.
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Noun 2
a product used to remove or neutralize unpleasant smells in spaces or on objects (e.g., refrigerators, shoes, rooms).
I bought a deodorant for the refrigerator to get rid of lingering smells.
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Adjective 1
having the property of preventing or removing unpleasant smells; used to describe something that deodorizes.
a deodorant spray for shoes
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Last updated: 2025/11/13 07:19