Absterging

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. The act of cleansing or wiping away impurities or dirt; the process of removing unwanted substances or stains from a surface; a figurative sense of purging or eliminating negative elements or emotions
2. A process of thorough cleaning that removes grime or unwanted material; an action to purify or sanitize by wiping or scrubbing; metaphorically, a means of clearing away mental or moral contamination
3. An operation of cleansing by rubbing or washing to remove filth or marks; the method of clearing a surface from soiling; figuratively, the action of erasing or dispelling undesirable aspects or influences

Etymology: Latin "tergere" meant "to wipe" or "to rub clean." Its past participle, "tersus," meant "polished," and English kept that sense in "terse," which originally described something smooth and cleansed of excess before it came to mean brief in speech. Another relative, "detergere," meaning "to wipe off," gave us "detergent." "Absterge" is built from "abs," a form of "ab" meaning "away," plus "tergere," so it literally means "to wipe away." The physical act of scrubbing something off a surface remains at its core. The metaphorical use, clearing away moral or mental stain, works the same way, treating a corrupted mind as something that can be wiped clean.

Synonyms: cleansing, cleaning, washing, purifying

Antonyms: dirtying, soiling, contaminating