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

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

We’ve got all the fancy soaps, deluxe robes and we added a washer and dryer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

Avoid using the oven on scorching days and delay running the dishwasher, washer or dryer until the cooler evening hours.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026

Brother McKinnon thanked him without looking up, wheeled the washer to the back of the van, and stopped, panting and mopping his brow with a bandana.

From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner

Hosepipes and pressure washers should not be used to:

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 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

Among these: cut-resistant kitchen gloves, heat-resistant oven mitts, gardening work gloves, vacuum-cleaner belts and appliance drive belts for washers and dryers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026

GE Appliances, which also makes products such as refrigerators, ovens and dishwashers, said it expects to begin production of washers and combination washer-dryers in Louisville in early 2027.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 20, 2025

They used to play quoits in the road with four big steel washers they’d found in a hardware store but these were gone with everything else.

From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy