Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

dhobi

British  
/ ˈdəʊbɪ /

noun

  1. (in India, Malaya, East Africa, etc, esp formerly) a washerman

"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

Etymology

Origin of dhobi

C19: from Hindi, from dhōb washing; related to Sanskrit dhāvaka washerman


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:

Varsha, the daughter of a dhobi, or laundry man, wants to be a police officer.

From Economist ● Mar. 17, 2016

Her pockets were emptied as a matter of routine by Aniyan the dhobi.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy

But, however this may have been, he managed to retain his rights as a dhobi after his baptism, and took his station at the usual washing-place without difficulty.

From India and the Indians by Edward Fenton Elwin

The dhobi stands in the stream and rinses the linen in the running water, sometimes using a little soap.

From India and the Indians by Edward Fenton Elwin

I motioned him to sit by my side, and then without more ado told him of the evil turn that had befallen the dhobi, and showed him the quatrain of verses.

From Tales of Destiny by Edmund Mitchell

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Just like flashcards, but way more fun

Don't take our word for it. Leave the boring studying behind and join VocabTrainer today. You'll learn even faster and never look back.

Take me to Vocabulary.com