washer

American  

[wosh-er, waw-sher] / ˈwɒʃ ər, ˈwɔ ʃər /

noun

• washers
  plural

1. a person or thing that washes.

2. washing machine.

3. a flat ring or perforated piece of leather, rubber, metal, etc., used to give tightness to a joint, to prevent leakage, to distribute pressure, etc., as under the head of a nut or bolt.

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washer British  

/ ˈwɒʃə /

noun

1. a person or thing that washes

2. a flat ring or drilled disc of metal used under the head of a bolt or nut to spread the load when tightened

3. any flat ring of rubber, felt, metal, etc, used to provide a seal under a nut or in a tap or valve seat

4. See washing machine

5. chemical engineering a device for cleaning or washing gases or vapours; scrubber

6. a face cloth; flannel

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• washerless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• washers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of washer

Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; see origin at wash, -er ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

washer washers

She said her landlord hasn’t fixed the washer and dryer on her floor in more than a year, and she’s constantly concerned about being forced out by rent hikes.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026

FARGO, N.D.—Oak Reile was delivering a pallet of washer fluid, cigarettes and candy to a local convenience store in 2020 when he slipped and fell, breaking two vertebrae and paralyzing him from the armpits down.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

"Having a cool shower, putting a cold washer on your neck, making sure you're hydrated - all of those things will help physiologically as well," she said.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

The building’s washer and dryer units were also destroyed in the deluge.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026

Mama’s folding up all the white clothes, and Charlie’s hypnotized watching the color clothes go round and round in the washer.

From "Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero" by Kelly J. Baptist

These highly detailed tableaux of laundromats speak to immigrant life as characters from East Asian mythology and Mexican traditions tumble around washers, buy detergent from vending machines, and mingle in laundry baskets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

On-site health and wellness services are provided as well as washers and dryers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

Then, it’s a cutback on durable goods, such as big appliances like dishwashers or washers and dryers for laundry, he said.

From MarketWatch ● May 12, 2026

Whirlpool has hiked prices this year across its range of washers, dryers, refrigerators and stoves—and plans to raise them again in the summer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026

Mom let us put the coins in the washers, then we climbed up and sat on them.

From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls