downwash

D2O1W4N1W4A1S1H4

noun

downward air turbulence caused by a propeller or jet, but especially by helicopter blades

Opposite
upwash
OriginEnglish wash ← Middle English waschen ← Old English wascan →
RareScrabble 18
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Meanings

noundownwash (plural downwashes)

plural downwashes

  1. downward air turbulence caused by a propeller or jet, but especially by helicopter blades
  2. The downward motion of air as a result of eddies behind a wing or chimney, etc.

    There is significant upwash ahead of the wing and even more downwash behind the wing.

    2008, John S. Denker, How It Flies

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite
upwash

Origin

  1. Englishdown-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*wed-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*wodsḱéti
  4. Proto-Germanic*waskaną
  5. Proto-West Germanic*waskan
  6. Old Englishwascan
  7. Middle Englishwaschen
  8. Englishwash
  9. Englishdownwash

From down- + wash.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with downwash

washjoshgoshmoustachecoshmoshboshawashcohoshswashfroshquashdoshnoshbriocheclocheguillochekiboshcloshgâchegaloshmusquashskoshsplosh
All rhymes →

Anagrams

washdown
Cite this entry
APA

downwash. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/downwash

MLA

“downwash.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/downwash. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “downwash,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/downwash.

Source: downwash on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.