dishwasher

American  

[dish-wosh-er, -waw-sher] / ˈdɪʃˌwɒʃ ər, -ˌwɔ ʃər /

noun

1. a person who washes dishes.

2. a machine for washing dishes, kitchen utensils, etc., automatically.

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dishwasher British  

/ ˈdɪʃˌwɒʃə /

noun

1. an electrically operated machine for washing, rinsing, and drying dishes, cutlery, etc

2. a person who washes dishes, etc

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Etymology

Origin of dishwasher

First recorded in 1520–30; dish + washer

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

Before running them through the dishwasher, he soaks and scrubs off the most stubborn jams and sauces.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

She performs humble Christian motherhood with aplomb, her antisocial personality tucked away as deftly as the farmhouse kitchen’s off-camera dishwasher.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

I would stand in our kitchen at dusk, the marine layer settling in, peaceful as I loaded the dishwasher in a life I hadn’t necessarily seen for myself.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

“I’m not paying anything” for it, she said, explaining that she just uses the dishwasher soap she already has.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026

The first rack of greasy pots and pans slid onto the table, and the dishwasher let out hisses of steam as the rack splashed into the pool of blue water.

From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya