noun
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an electrically operated machine for washing, rinsing, and drying dishes, cutlery, etc
-
a person who washes dishes, etc
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of dishwasher
Explanation
If you work as a dishwasher, your job involves cleaning the glasses, plates, bowls, and silverware at a restaurant or cafe. You're also a dishwasher if you volunteer to wash the dishes after dinner at home. Some dishwashers scrub pots, pans, and dishes by hand, while others simply load up the other kind of dishwasher — a machine that automatically cleans dishes. While a human dishwasher has to scrub to get the dishes clean, a mechanical dishwasher sprays extremely hot water to do the same job. This new and improved type of dishwasher was invented in the late 19th century.
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:
But training them to safely perform household tasks like ironing or stacking the dishwasher is proving difficult and costly.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
First, I’d like to see a dishwasher with racks that can be raised, making it easier for tall people to load and unload them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
He got a job as a dishwasher at an Indian restaurant in Beverly Hills.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026
But unless a dishwasher or a fridge stops working, buying another one is a discretionary purchase.
From MarketWatch ● May 15, 2026
He thought of Mr. Mosley running the mostly empty dishwasher.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Running washing machines and dishwashers with full loads.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
Workers represented by the union include cashiers, dishwashers, cooks, bartenders and concessions workers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
Cooks, dishwashers, bartenders, and others are represented by Unite Here.
From Barron's ● Jun. 6, 2026
Legends’ most recent proposal calls for wage freezes for some workers and a 25-cent hourly increase for cooks and dishwashers, the union said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026
Just as quickly, the waiters, cooks, salad master, souffle maker and dishwashers skidded to a halt.
From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
