car wash

US/ˈkɑɹ ˌwɑʃ/British, Southern, Standard/ˈkɑɹ ˌwɔʃ/

noun

An event at which people (often students) wash cars, often for a small fee or donation

“I'm going to take the car to the car wash.”

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nouncar wash (plural car washes)

plural car washes · alternative carwash

  1. An event at which people (often students) wash cars, often for a small fee or donation
  2. A place at which a car is washed, usually for a fee and often mechanically by driving the car through a tunnel.

    I'm going to take the car to the car wash.

  3. An instance of washing a car, especially such a place.

    I'm going to take the car in for a car wash.

Translations

Afrikaans karwassery
  • karwasseryplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
Basque auto-garbigune
  • auto-garbiguneplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
Bulgarian автомивка
  • автомивка (avtomivka)place at which a car is washed, often mechanically
Catalan centre de rentatge
  • centre de rentatgeplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
Chinese Mandarin 洗車 /洗车, 洗車場 /洗车场
  • 洗車 /洗车 (xǐchē)event at which people wash cars
  • 洗車場 /洗车场 (xǐchēchǎng)place at which a car is washed, often mechanically
Czech mycí linka
  • mycí linkaplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
Danish bilvask
  • bilvaskplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
Dutch wasstraat, autowasstraat
  • wasstraatplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
  • autowasstraatplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
Estonian autopesu
  • autopesuplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
Finnish autonpesu, autopesula
  • autonpesuevent at which people wash cars
  • autopesulaplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
French station de lavage, lave-auto
  • station de lavageplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
  • lave-autoplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
German Wagenwäsche, Waschstraße
  • Wagenwäscheevent at which people wash cars
  • Waschstraßeplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
  • Waschanlageplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
  • Wagenwäscheplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
Hungarian autómosó
  • autómosóplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
Indonesian tempat cuci mobil
  • tempat cuci mobilplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
Italian autolavaggio
  • autolavaggioplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
Japanese 洗車場
  • 洗車場 (senshajō)place at which a car is washed, often mechanically
Latvian auto mazgātava
  • auto mazgātavaplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
Lithuanian automobilių plovykla
  • automobilių plovyklaplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
Malay tempat cuci kereta
  • tempat cuci keretaplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
Norwegian bilvask
  • bilvaskplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
Persian کارواش
  • کارواش (kârvâš)place at which a car is washed, often mechanically
Polish mycie samochodów, automyjnia
  • mycie samochodówevent at which people wash cars
  • automyjniaplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
  • myjnia samochodowaplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
Portuguese lava-jato
  • lava-jatoplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
Romanian spălătorie auto
  • spălătorie autoplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
Russian мо́йка автомоби́лей, автомо́йка
  • мо́йка автомоби́лей (mójka avtomobílej)event at which people wash cars
  • автомо́йка (avtomójka)place at which a car is washed, often mechanically
  • мо́йка (mójka)place at which a car is washed, often mechanically
Slovak umývacia linka
  • umývacia linkaplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
Spanish túnel de lavado, autolavado
  • túnel de lavadoplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
  • autolavadoplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
  • lavado de coches / carros / autosplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
  • lavadero de carros / autosplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
  • lavadora de autosplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
  • fregadoraplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
  • car washplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
Swedish biltvätt, biltvättning
  • biltvättevent at which people wash cars
  • biltvättningevent at which people wash cars
  • biltvättplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
Thai การล้าง รถ
  • การล้าง รถ (gaan láang rót)place at which a car is washed, often mechanically
Turkish araç yıkama yeri, oto kuaför
  • araç yıkama yeriplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
  • oto kuaförplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
  • oto yıkamaplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
Ukrainian автоми́йка
  • автоми́йка (avtomýjka)place at which a car is washed, often mechanically
Vietnamese rửa xe
  • rửa xeplace at which a car is washed, often mechanically
Cite this entry
APA

car wash. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/car%20wash

MLA

“car wash.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/car%20wash. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “car wash,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/car%20wash.

Source: car wash on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.