A flavored liquid used to rinse your mouth and teeth to clean them and freshen your breath.
A compound word combining 'mouth' (from Old English 'muð') and 'wash' (from Old English 'wæscan'). The product itself is a relatively modern invention from the late 19th century, though the practice of rinsing the mouth with liquid mixtures dates back centuries to ancient civilizations.
Mouthwash is a perfect example of a recent consumer product that became essential—before mass marketing in the early 1900s, people didn't use it regularly, yet today it's considered part of normal dental hygiene, showing how effectively advertising can shape what we think we need.
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