Etymology
Origin of rinsing
First recorded in 1325–75, rinsing is from the Middle English word rinsynge. See rinse, -ing 1
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.
He now wonders if he got a fever and severe gastrointestinal symptoms after rinsing his hands and coffee cup in the river.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026
People should lather their hands with soap and scrub for at least 20 seconds, including the back of their hands, between their fingers and under their nails, before rinsing and drying, the CDC says.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 13, 2025
“And after rinsing them of marinara sauce, she would let me put them in the bathtub and I would get in with them.”
From MarketWatch • Nov. 20, 2025
If you've been spitting, rinsing and gargling after every brush, you might want to rethink that last step.
From BBC • Nov. 2, 2025
She worked slowly, keeping her hands out of the body cavity, away from blood as much as possible, rinsing her gloves again and again in a pan of EnviroChem.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
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.
