rinse
Americanverb (used with object)
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rinses,
present (3rd person singular)
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rinsed,
past participle, past
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rinsing
present participle
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to wash lightly, as by pouring water into or over or by dipping in water.
to rinse a cup.
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to douse or drench in clean water as a final stage in washing.
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to remove (soap, dirt, etc.) by such a process (often followed byoff ).
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to use a rinse on (the hair).
noun
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rinses
plural
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an act or instance of rinsing.
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the water used for rinsing.
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any preparation that may be used on the hair after washing, especially to tint or condition the hair.
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an act or instance of using such a preparation on the hair.
verb
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to remove soap from (clothes, etc) by applying clean water in the final stage in washing
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to wash lightly, esp without using soap
to rinse one's hands
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to give a light tint to (hair)
noun
-
the act or an instance of rinsing
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hairdressing a liquid preparation put on the hair when wet to give a tint to it
a blue rinse
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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prerinsenoun
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rinsabilitynoun
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rinseabilitynoun
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rinsernoun
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prerinseverb (used with object)
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rinsableadjective
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rinseableadjective
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unrinsedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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rinsesimple
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rinsessimple
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have rinsedperfect
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has rinsedperfect
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am rinsingprogressive
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are rinsingprogressive
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is rinsingprogressive
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have been rinsingperfect progressive
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has been rinsingperfect progressive
Past
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rinsedsimple
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had rinsedperfect
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was rinsingprogressive
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were rinsingprogressive
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had been rinsingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of rinse
1300–50; Middle English ryncen < Middle French rincer, Old French recincier < Vulgar Latin *recentiāre to make new, refresh, equivalent to Latin recent- (stem of recēns ) fresh, recent + connective -i- + -āre infinitive suffix
Explanation
When you rinse something, you run water over it. You probably at least rinse your hands before sitting down to eat, and rinse your dishes afterward. After shampooing your hair in the shower you need to rinse it, and many recipes call for you to rinse rice before cooking it. You can also rinse your mouth out, either with water or mouthwash. When it's a noun, rinse means the act of rinsing, or a hair treatment: "After the red rinse, you'll barely recognize yourself." Rinse shares the Latin root recens, "fresh or new," with recent.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Still, Wu sees potential in occasionally using pure cranberry juice as a mouth rinse.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 29, 2026
“And that is rinse and repeat what happens to really good art and really good movements, and it’s what happened with Afropunk.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
The outbreak is a reminder of one of the persistent questions that surrounds lettuce: Do I need to rinse my “triple-washed” lettuce?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 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
The worms sometimes came live, and my mother would order me to squeeze their greenish entrails out and rinse them in warm water, so as to make them taste less sour.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
Every subsequent concert just rinses and repeats the same story.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
The researchers suggest that adding arginine to products such as toothpaste or oral rinses could help protect people who are especially prone to cavities.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 9, 2026
Instead, he puts a small amount of Dawn, which he buys in bulk to save, into the left side of his sink, adds water and rinses through dirty dishes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2025
The brand touts a variety of products including shampoo, conditioner, a hair oil, a hair mask and a shaking vessel to apply rinses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 20, 2024
She works up a nice amount of suds in each section and rinses twice.
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
Jack had reached for a vol-au-vent, swallowed it whole in one bite, rinsed it down with a glass of champagne and seized center stage all in one action.
From Slate ● Aug. 15, 2026
"I've literally just rinsed out my underwear, and clothes I wore out, to try and give myself another day."
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
The researchers rinsed and peeled potatoes before cutting them into strips.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
Here we are again, having washed, rinsed and repeated the process with the same shampoo in a different scent.
From Salon ● Mar. 5, 2026
Father and Peter emptied our improvised potties and rinsed them with warm water and powdered bleach.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
After rinsing with water, participants consumed three small amounts of their assigned beverage.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 29, 2026
In the local hospital, a modest building nestled within the hillside town's trees and high grass, healthcare workers are rinsing both floor and walls with a chlorine solution.
From Barron's ● May 24, 2026
You know to turn the faucet in the bathroom off while rinsing out your swimsuit but something distracts you.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026
In some cases, workers disregarded decontamination protocols by stepping outside of contaminated areas without rinsing their boots.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2025
The truck stopped next to Nali, who was busy rinsing the soap off her face and drying off.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
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