Meanings
washing1
plural washings
- countableThe action of the verb to wash.
I then took a piece of dry stone, ground it fine in a mortar, and placed the powder in water, the sand particles sunk rapidly to the bottom, while the clay remained suspended, and by several washings and decantings the sand and clay could be approximately separated ;[…]
1855, Proceedings of the Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow, volume 3, page 315 - AustraliaNew ZealandUKuncountableClothing, bedlinen or soft furnishings that have been, are currently being, or are to be washed; laundry.
My mother used to do the washing on a Monday.
1 more example
[…] Hazel telling about how she liked a good woodpile, especially when she used to take in washing to earn a little extra. She needed a goodly pile to fuel her washtubs.
2013, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass, 1st edition, Milkweed Editions, →ISBN, page 74Synonyms: laundry
- countableuncountableThe liquid used to wash an ore.
- countableuncountableA place where a precious metal found in gravel is separated from lighter material by washing.
silver-washings
1 more example
the gold-washings
- countableuncountableA thin covering or coat.
a washing of silver
- countableuncountablebusinessA fraudulent transaction in which the same stock is simultaneously bought and sold for the purpose of manipulating the market.
- countableuncountablepotteryThe covering of a piece with an infusible powder, which prevents it from sticking to its supports, while receiving the glaze.
washing2
- gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of wash
Synonyms & antonyms
nounClothing, bedlinen or soft furnishings that have been, are currently being, or are to be washed; laundry.
More synonyms by meaning
noungarments or white goods that can be cleaned by laundering
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
washing · noun
- Proto-West Germanic*waskingu
- Old English*wæsċing /*weasċing
- Middle Englishwaschynge, wasshynge
- Englishwashing
Inherited from Middle English waschynge, wasshynge, from Old English *wæsċing /*weasċing (attested in weasċingweġ), from Proto-West Germanic *waskingu. By surface analysis, wash + -ing. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Waaskenge (“washing”), West Frisian wasking (“washing”), Dutch wassing (“washing”), German Waschung (“washing”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →washing · verb
- Proto-Germanic*waskandz“washing”
- Proto-West Germanic*waskandī
- Old English*wæsċende /*wasċende
- Middle Englishwaschynge /wasshynge
- Englishwashing
Inherited from Middle English waschynge /wasshynge, from Old English *wæsċende /*wasċende, from Proto-West Germanic *waskandī, from Proto-Germanic *waskandz (“washing”), present participle of *waskaną (“to wash”). By surface analysis, wash + -ing. Cognate with Dutch wassend, German waschend, Swedish vaskande.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek λοῦσις, πλῠ́σις
- λοῦσις (loûsis)action of the verb "to wash"
- πλῠ́σις (plŭ́sis)action of the verb "to wash"
- πλῠ́μα (plŭ́ma)residue after an ore, etc., has been washed
Bulgarian ми́ене, пране́
- ми́ене (míene)action of the verb "to wash"
- пране́ (prané)action of the verb "to wash"
- пране́ (prané)textiles that have been or are to be washed
Catalan rentada
- rentadaaction of the verb "to wash"
Finnish pesu, peseminen
- pesuaction of the verb "to wash"
- peseminenaction of the verb "to wash"
- huuhdontaaction of the verb "to wash"
- huuhtominenaction of the verb "to wash"
- pyykkitextiles that have been or are to be washed
- huuhtelujäteresidue after an ore, etc., has been washed
- huuhdeliquid used to wash an ore
French lavage, linge
- lavageaction of the verb "to wash"
- lingetextiles that have been or are to be washed
German Waschen, Wäsche
- Waschenaction of the verb "to wash"
- Wäschetextiles that have been or are to be washed
Hungarian mosás, mosnivaló
- mosásaction of the verb "to wash"
- mosnivalótextiles that have been or are to be washed
- szennyestextiles that have been or are to be washed
- tiszta ruhatextiles that have been or are to be washed
Irish ní, níochán
- níaction of the verb "to wash"
- níochánaction of the verb "to wash"
- níochántextiles that have been or are to be washed
Italian bucato
- bucatotextiles that have been or are to be washed
Japanese 洗濯, 洗濯物
- 洗濯 (sentaku)action of the verb "to wash"
- 洗濯物 (sentakumono)textiles that have been or are to be washed
Latin ablūtiō
- ablūtiōaction of the verb "to wash"
Māori horoinga
- horoingatextiles that have been or are to be washed
Polish mycie, pranie
- mycieaction of the verb "to wash"
- pranieaction of the verb "to wash"
- pranietextiles that have been or are to be washed
- pozostałości po myciuresidue after an ore, etc., has been washed
- płyn do mycialiquid used to wash an ore
Portuguese lavação, lavagem
- lavaçãoaction of the verb "to wash"
- lavagemaction of the verb "to wash"
- lavamentoaction of the verb "to wash"
- lavaduraaction of the verb "to wash"
Russian мытьё, сти́рка
- мытьё (mytʹjó)action of the verb "to wash"
- сти́рка (stírka)action of the verb "to wash"
- мо́йка (mójka)action of the verb "to wash"
- промыва́ние (promyvánije)action of the verb "to wash"
- промы́вка (promývka)action of the verb "to wash"
- бельё (belʹjó)textiles that have been or are to be washed
Spanish lavado, lavatorio
- lavadoaction of the verb "to wash"
- lavatorioaction of the verb "to wash"
- lavaduraaction of the verb "to wash"
- lavadaaction of the verb "to wash"
- lavamientoaction of the verb "to wash"
- abluciónaction of the verb "to wash"
Swedish tvätt, tvätt
- tvättaction of the verb "to wash"
- tvätttextiles that have been or are to be washed
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with washing
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
washing. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/washing
“washing.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/washing. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “washing,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/washing.
Source: washing on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.