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car wash

American  
Or carwash

noun

car washes plural
  1. a place or structure having special equipment for washing automobiles.

  2. the washing of an automobile.

    The service station is offering free car washes to draw customers.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of car wash

First recorded in 1955–60

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:

Photographs show buildings on the compound included a clinic and a car wash.

From BBC Jul. 23, 2026

She’s looking for work as a cook after being laid off from a car wash in January.

From Salon Apr. 9, 2026

The Arby’s employee noticed Cynthia’s Fiero parked at a car wash across the street from about 9 to 11:45 that night, hours after the stripogram was supposed to end.

From Slate Apr. 6, 2026

Gonzalez Valencia was released from prison last year after reportedly serving time for suspicious payments related to a car wash she owned.

From Barron's Feb. 23, 2026

Just then a big Lincoln Continental pulled into the car wash with its stereo turned to maximum hip-hop.

From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan

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