to apply water or some other liquid to (something or someone) for the purpose of cleansing; cleanse by dipping, rubbing, or scrubbing in water or some other liquid.
to remove (dirt, stains, paint, or any matter) by or as by the action of water (usually followed by out, off, etc.).
to wash grime out of clothing.
to free from spiritual defilement or from sin, guilt, etc..
to be washed whiter than the snow.
to bathe, wet, or moisten with water or other liquid.
a meadow newly washed with morning dew.
to flow through, over, or against.
a shore or cliff washed by waves.
to carry, bring, remove, or deposit (something) by means of water or any liquid, or as the water or liquid does (often followed by up, down, oralong ).
The storm washed the boat up on the shore.
A sailor was washed overboard.
to wear or diminish, as water does by flowing over or against a surface (often followed by out oraway ).
The rain had washed away the lettering on the stone.
(of water) to form by flowing over and eroding a surface.
The flood had washed a new channel through the bottom lands.
Mining.
to subject (earth or ore) to the action or force of water in order to separate valuable material.
to separate (valuable material) in this way.
to purify (a gas or gaseous mixture) by passage through or over a liquid.
to cover with a watery or thin coat of color.
to overlay with a thin coat or deposit of metal.
to wash brass with gold.
Slang. launder.
to wash oneself.
After using the insecticide spray they washed completely.
to wash clothes.
Monday is the day we wash.
to cleanse anything with or in water or other liquid.
to undergo washing without injury, especially shrinking or fading.
fabrics guaranteed to wash.
Informal. to be found true, valid, or real when tested or closely scrutinized; stand being put to the proof.
His honesty won't wash.
to be carried or driven by water (often followed by along orashore ).
The boat had washed ashore in the night.
to flow or beat with a lapping sound, as waves on a shore.
to move along in or as in waves, or with a rushing movement, as water.
to be eroded, as by a stream or by rainfall.
a hillside that washes frequently.
to be removed by the action of water (often followed byaway ).
Much of the topsoil washes away each spring.
the act or process of washing with water or other liquid.
to give the car a wash.
a quantity of clothes, linens, etc., washed, or to be washed, at one time.
a heavy wash.
a liquid with which something is washed, wetted, colored, overspread, etc..
She gave the room a wash of pale blue.
the flow, sweep, dash, or breaking of water.
The wash of the waves had drenched us.
the sound made by this.
listening to the wash of the Atlantic.
water moving along in waves or with a rushing movement.
the wash of the incoming tide.
the rough or broken water left behind a moving ship, boat, etc.; wake.
The little boats tossed about in the wash from the liner's propellers.
Aeronautics. the disturbance in the air left behind by a moving airplane or any of its parts.
wing wash.
any of various liquids for grooming or cosmetic purposes.
a hair wash.
a lotion or other liquid having medicinal properties, as an antiseptic solution or the like (often used in combination).
to apply wash to a skinned knee;
mouthwash;
eyewash.
Mining. minerals from which valuable material can be extracted by washing.
the wearing away of the shore by breaking waves.
a tract of land washed by the action of the sea or a river.
a marsh, fen, or bog.
a small stream or shallow pool.
a shallow arm of the sea or a shallow part of a river.
The Wash, a shallow bay of the North Sea, on the eastern coast of England. 20 miles (32 km) long; 15 miles (24 km) wide.
a depression or channel formed by flowing water.
Geology. alluvial matter transferred and deposited by flowing water.
Also called dry wash. Western U.S. the dry bed of an intermittent stream.
a broad, thin layer of color applied by a continuous movement of the brush, as in water-color painting.
Also called watershed, weathering. Architecture.
an upper surface so inclined as to shed rainwater from a building.
any member of a building having such a surface.
Metalworking. Also a thin coat of metal applied in liquid form.
a gold wash.
waste liquid matter, refuse, food, etc., from the kitchen, as for hogs; swill (often used in combination).
hogwash.
washy or weak liquor or liquid food.
the fermented wort from which the spirit is extracted in distilling.
Informal. an action that yields neither gain nor loss.
The company's financial position is a wash compared with last year.
wash up
to wash one's face and hands.
Aren't you going to wash up? Dinner is almost ready.
to wash (dishes, flatware, pots, etc.).
I'll wash up the dishes, don't bother.
We had someone in to wash up after the party.
to end, especially ignominiously (usually in the passive).
After that performance, he's all washed up as a singer.
wash out
to be removed by washing.
The stain wouldn't wash out.
to damage or demolish by the action of water.
The embankment was washed out by the storm.
Informal. to fail to qualify or continue; be eliminated.
to wash out of graduate school.
to become dim, indistinct, or blurred.
The face of the watch washes out in sunlight.
wash down
to clean completely by washing.
to wash down a car.
to facilitate the swallowing of (food or medicine) by drinking water or other liquid.
to wash down a meal with a glass of wine.
wash one's hands of. hand.
come out in the wash,
to have a good or satisfactory result; turn out eventually.
The situation may look hopeless now, but it will all come out in the wash.
to be revealed; become known.
to apply water or other liquid, usually with soap, to (oneself, clothes, etc) in order to cleanse
(tr; often foll by away, from, off, etc) to remove by the application of water or other liquid and usually soap
she washed the dirt from her clothes
(intr) to be capable of being washed without damage or loss of colour
(of an animal such as a cat) to cleanse (itself or another animal) by licking
(tr) to cleanse from pollution or defilement
(tr) to make wet or moist
to move or be moved by water
the flood washed away the bridge
(esp of waves) to flow or sweep against or over (a surface or object), often with a lapping sound
to form by erosion or be eroded
the stream washed a ravine in the hill
(tr) to apply a thin coating of paint, metal, etc, to
(tr) to separate (ore, precious stones, etc) from (gravel, earth, or sand) by immersion in water
informal (intr; usually used with a negative) to admit of testing or proof
your excuses won't wash with me this time
euphemistic to go to the lavatory
(usually foll by of) to refuse to have anything more to do (with)
the act or process of washing; ablution
a quantity of articles washed together
a preparation or thin liquid used as a coating or in washing
a thin wash of paint
a hair wash
med
any medicinal or soothing lotion for application to a part of the body
( in combination )
an eyewash
the flow of water, esp waves, against a surface, or the sound made by such a flow
the technique of making wash drawings
See wash drawing
the erosion of soil by the action of flowing water
a mass of alluvial material transported and deposited by flowing water
land that is habitually washed by tidal or river waters
the disturbance in the air or water produced at the rear of an aircraft, boat, or other moving object
gravel, earth, etc, from which valuable minerals may be washed
waste liquid matter or liquid refuse, esp as fed to pigs; swill
an alcoholic liquid resembling strong beer, resulting from the fermentation of wort in the production of whisky
informal to become known or apparent in the course of time
First recorded before 900; Middle English verb washen, Old English wascan (cognate with Dutch wasschen, German waschen, Old Norse vaska ), from Proto-Germanic watskan, equivalent to wat- (root of water ) + -sk- verb suffix + -an infinitive suffix
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Wood said people could go in the toilets but there was no way to wash hands and conditions had grown worse in the hour or two they were there.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
For centuries, they have dished up wine from the surrounding vineyards to wash down typically hearty central European fare.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
Yet despite his affinity for Wallace, none of Randolph’s waxing poetry turns false in the wash.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
It likely all worked itself out in the wash.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
I run to take a shower, wanting to wash the day off me as soon as possible.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
That fire broke out at a 525,000-square-foot cold storage facility in Finley, Wash., in April of 2024 and took eight weeks to extinguish.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
Starting in the 1990s, Ed Schaplow, who lives in Chelan, Wash., visited Vegas twice a year, once for work and once for fun.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
Expedia searches for Tacoma, Wash., also more than doubled this year.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 11, 2026
Containment and recovery operations are under way after a chemical tank in Longview, Wash., collapsed, leaving one person dead and nine missing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026
It didn’t take long to wipe up the kitchen, and she found herself looking over her school things for what might interest Wash. She pulled out her last science assignment.
From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez
Barnaby Dorfman, 58, chief technology officer in residence at a private-equity firm in Bainbridge Island, Wash.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
In January, she moved back to her hometown of Seattle, in part to be closer to her family, and started training with Cale Robinson at Pacific Reign Gymnastics in Woodinville, Wash.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
Recruiting experts for these task forces is under way, Wash said, adding that he hopes to get recommendations by year-end.
From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026
Wash and rinse the rice before soaking it in a fresh bowl of water for 20 to 25 minutes.
From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2026
“I didn’t mean—” Wash took a small step back.
From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez
According to the motion, the government sent intelligence-gathering teams to Home Depots and car washes where “they ran checks until they identified an arbitrary number—typically a small number—of possibly unlawfully present individuals.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Symbols that the pioneering assemblage artist has been “remixing” for more than seven decades — stars, moons, eyes, hands — emerge in vibrant washes of magenta, teal and her favored crepuscular blues.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
A radical acceptance of your fate, floating in the void, washes over you.
From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026
Primary microplastics are those like the microbeads intentionally added to face washes and other personal care products.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
Mustafa shoves an entire cookie into his mouth at once and washes it down with some milk.
From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan
The carcasses of malnourished sea lions and whales washed up on beaches.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
“It looks like ‘chipflation’ has washed up on U.K. shores; portable device prices spiked by 22% month-on-month, the biggest monthly change since the series began in 2015,” the economist says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Got stuff to make a Greek salad instead, since those are easily washed and peeled,” Berger wrote to me.
From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2026
At the time, some staff - in desperation - used bin bags as makeshift protection, or washed and reused some PPE items.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
The music washed over her and filled her with the kind of sadness that satisfies the heart the way a good meal satisfies the belly.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
Adult social care provides support to help people live more independently, ranging from personal care such as washing to household tasks.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Experts are split on how much washing matters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
They have been documented engaging in "wave washing" -- cooperating to create choppy waters that knock seals off sheets of ice so they can be more easily captured and eaten.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Practicing proper hand washing and washing all fresh produce under clean running water are also key, although they don’t eliminate the risk of contamination completely.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
Nobody else thought of buttering Boyd’s head or washing their cat at the Laundromat.
From "The Best School Year Ever" by Barbara Robinson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
