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dhobi

British

/ ˈdəʊbɪ /

noun

(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.

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

When at last the face was raised I recognized the dhobi of the village that nestled under the hill on which was perched the castle of the zemindar.

From Tales of Destiny by Mitchell, Edmund

Many of the Indian rivers for a large part of the year provide just the conditions which the dhobi loves.

From India and the Indians by Elwin, Edward Fenton

There was at one time a Christian dhobi in the Mission.

From India and the Indians by Elwin, Edward Fenton

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023