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

I'll send a message down to the dhobi to get your wash ready by noon tomorrow.

From Banked Fires by Savi, E. W. (Ethel Winifred)

Hereupon the dhobi loosened the loin cloth beneath his upper garment, and extracted from its folds a tiny roll of paper.

From Tales of Destiny by Mitchell, Edmund

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 Elwin, Edward Fenton

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training