mouthwash

IPA/ˈmaʊθwɒʃ/
KK[mˈaʊθwˌɑʃ]IPA/ˈmaʊθwɔːʃ/

mouthwash — noun

  • mouthwashsingular
  • mouthwashesplural

1. a liquid that you swish around your mouth and then spit out, used to kill germs

1.nounB1
Definition

a liquid that you swish around your mouth and then spit out, used to kill germs and keep your breath smelling pleasant

Example

Bilal swished the mouthwash around his teeth for thirty seconds before spitting it out.

swish + mouthwash (describes the rinsing action)

Heloísa bought a green mouthwash that tasted strongly of mint and left her mouth tingling.

Common collocations
  • antiseptic mouthwash
  • alcohol-free mouthwash
  • mint mouthwash
  • fluoride mouthwash
  • swish mouthwash
  • gargle with mouthwash
Synonyms
  • oral rinse

    more clinical term, often used by dentists and on product labels

  • mouth rinse

    less common everyday variant with the same meaning

Usage Note

Usually uncountable when referring to the liquid in general; can be countable when talking about different types or brands ("a mouthwash for sensitive gums").

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Mouthwash is the everyday word for a liquid you swish around your mouth to clean it and freshen your breath. Oral rinse is the more clinical term dentists and product labels prefer — you will see it on bottles in the pharmacy aisle, but people rarely say it at home. Mouth rinse is a less common variant that means exactly the same thing and appears in some advertising. Gargle is different: it refers specifically to tilting your head back and bubbling liquid in your throat, and is more often used for sore-throat remedies than for daily oral care. If you say "I need more gargle," a listener might picture a medicinal throat treatment rather than the minty liquid next to your toothbrush.

oral rinsemouth rinsegargle

Common collocations

Phrases

  • a bottle of mouthwash
  • use mouthwash
  • rinse with mouthwash

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

A compound of mouth and wash, formed in English in the early 20th century as commercially produced oral-hygiene liquids became widely available. Before branded mouthwashes, people used salt water or herbal rinses, but the word mouthwash itself only became common once the product was marketed as a distinct bathroom item.

First known use

1840

1840, in the meaning defined above