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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

How the dhobi does his work; beating the clothes on a stone.

From India and the Indians by Edward Fenton Elwin

The Indian dhobi always, by preference, washes clothes in a stream of running water where such is to be had.

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

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