Meanings
plural launderettes · alternative laundrette
- A place that has facilities for washing and drying clothes that the public may pay to use.
Synonyms: laundromat, laundrette, washateria, washeteria, washery, washette, coin laundry
- A money laundering operation.
From drug money to terrorist finance: the launderette's many different washing cycles
2009, Christine Jojarth, Crime, War, and Global Trafficking, page 1402 more examples
The distinction is by no means watertight as any 'money launderette' may become a money launderer – and hence be guilty of a money laundering offence – the moment it knowingly engages in a money laundering operation.
2000, Guy Stessens, Money Laundering: A New International Law Enforcement Model, page 133This is a stage at which the proceeds of illegal activity are introduced into the financial system and therefore it is the most vulnerable stage in the launderette. Perhaps this is why anti-money laundering measures are concerned about “Know Your Customer Principle.
2015, Ibrahim Abdul Abubakar, Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing, page 63Synonyms: laundromat
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA place that has facilities for washing and drying clothes that the public may pay to use.
nounA money laundering operation.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna self-service laundry (service mark Laundromat) where coin-operated washing machines are available to individual customers
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Genericized trademark of Launderette; originally a proprietary name (1940s) of Bendix corporation, from launder + -ette.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Basque ikuztegi, garbitegi
- ikuztegiplace with facilities for washing that public may use
- garbitegiplace with facilities for washing that public may use
Bulgarian пералня на самообслужване
- пералня на самообслужване (peralnja na samoobslužvane)place with facilities for washing that public may use
Catalan bugaderia
- bugaderiaplace with facilities for washing that public may use
Chinese Mandarin 自助洗衣店
- 自助洗衣店 (zìzhù xǐyīdiàn)place with facilities for washing that public may use
Danish møntvaskeri
- møntvaskeriplace with facilities for washing that public may use
Dutch wasserette
- wasseretteplace with facilities for washing that public may use
Estonian pesumaja
- pesumajaplace with facilities for washing that public may use
Finnish itsepalvelupesula, pesula
- itsepalvelupesulaplace with facilities for washing that public may use
- pesulaplace with facilities for washing that public may use
French lavomatique, laverie automatique
- lavomatiqueplace with facilities for washing that public may use
- laverie automatiqueplace with facilities for washing that public may use
- buanderieplace with facilities for washing that public may use
- laverieplace with facilities for washing that public may use
German Waschsalon, Münzwäscherei
- Waschsalonplace with facilities for washing that public may use
- Münzwäschereiplace with facilities for washing that public may use
Hebrew מִכְבָּסָה
- מִכְבָּסָה (michbasá)place with facilities for washing that public may use
Hungarian mosószalon, mosoda
- mosószalonplace with facilities for washing that public may use
- mosodaplace with facilities for washing that public may use
Icelandic þvottahús
- þvottahúsplace with facilities for washing that public may use
Irish ionad níocháin, níolann
- ionad níocháinplace with facilities for washing that public may use
- níolannplace with facilities for washing that public may use
Japanese コインランドリー
- コインランドリー (koin-randorī)place with facilities for washing that public may use
Korean 빨래방, 코인런드리
- 빨래방 (ppallaebang)place with facilities for washing that public may use
- 코인런드리 (koin-reondeuri)place with facilities for washing that public may use
- 동전식 세탁기 (dongjeonsik setakgi)place with facilities for washing that public may use
Polish pralnia samoobsługowa
- pralnia samoobsługowaplace with facilities for washing that public may use
Portuguese lavandaria, lavanderia (a moedas)
- lavandariaplace with facilities for washing that public may use
- lavanderia (a moedas)place with facilities for washing that public may use
Russian пра́чечная самообслу́живания, ландрома́т
- пра́чечная самообслу́живания (práčečnaja samoobslúživanija)place with facilities for washing that public may use
- ландрома́т (landromát)place with facilities for washing that public may use
- пра́чечная-автома́т (práčečnaja-avtomát)place with facilities for washing that public may use
Spanish lavandería, lavandería autoservicio
- lavanderíaplace with facilities for washing that public may use
- lavandería autoservicioplace with facilities for washing that public may use
Swedish tvättomat
- tvättomatplace with facilities for washing that public may use
Welsh golchdy, tŷ golchi
- golchdyplace with facilities for washing that public may use
- tŷ golchiplace with facilities for washing that public may use
- londrétplace with facilities for washing that public may use
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with launderette
Cite this entry
launderette. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/launderette
“launderette.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/launderette. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “launderette,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/launderette.
Source: launderette on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.