clothesline

[ klohz-lahyn, klohthz- ]

/ ˈkloʊzˌlaɪn, ˈkloʊðz- /

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See synonyms for clothesline on Thesaurus.com

noun

a strong, narrow rope, cord, wire, etc., usually stretched between two poles, posts, or buildings, on which clean laundry is hung to dry.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of clothesline

First recorded in 1820–30; clothes + line¹

Words nearby clothesline

clothe, cloth-eared, clothes, clothesbasket, clotheshorse, clothesline, clothes moth, clothes-peg, clothespin, clothes pole, clothespress

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use clothesline in a sentence

“You don’t clean your underwear by hanging them on the clothesline for a week and airing it out,” Warren says.
The ultimate guide to reusing and buying N95 masks|Sandra Gutierrez G.|January 13, 2022|Popular-Science
After that I hung them up on my backyard clothesline and weighed them every ten minutes for an hour to see how quickly they dried.
Our Gear Guy's 5 Favorite Running Tees|Joe Jackson|October 5, 2020|Outside Online
A hulking defender breaks into the backfield and takes him down with a vicious clothesline tackle.
Two New Films Preach Our Nation’s Corrosive Gridiron Gospel|Steve Almond|September 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
New Hampshire, after all, is the home of a law prohibiting the hanging of lingerie on a clothesline near an airport.
Our Dumb Puritan Laws: Sex Bans and Illegal Adultery|Kevin Bleyer|April 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST

On the last Sunday in March, Marina is hanging diapers on a flimsy clothesline stuck in the grass in the small backyard.
The Man Oswald First Tried to Kill Before JFK|Bill Minutaglio, Steven L. Davis|October 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
One of her four books, The Clothesline Diet, was also published in the U.S.
Oprah's Super Sad Superfans|Tricia Romano|May 24, 2011|DAILY BEAST
She spent 13 months pacing around her clothesline and lost all the weight.
Oprah's Super Sad Superfans|Tricia Romano|May 24, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Taking the scissors from Violet's workbag, she cut the laundry bag carefully into two pieces, saving the cord for a clothesline.
The Box-Car Children|Gertrude Chandler Warner
A small box is fastened to one post, to provide a place for the clothesline and the clothespins.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2|Various
She thinks she recognizes that quilt—she missed one off her clothesline several nights ago.
The Castaways of Pete's Patch|Carroll Watson Rankin
She's grow on som' clothesline jus' biffore de back part of dose house of madame hon Lakeveele.
The Castaways of Pete's Patch|Carroll Watson Rankin
Little Jim meanwhile amused himself by trying to rope the family cat with a piece of clothesline.
Partners of Chance|Henry Herbert Knibbs

British Dictionary definitions for clothesline

clothesline

/ (ˈkləʊðzˌlaɪn) /

noun

a piece of rope, cord, or wire on which clean washing is hung to dry or air

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

clothesline

Origin of clothesline

Words nearby clothesline

Words related to clothesline

How to use clothesline in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for clothesline