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dishwasher

American

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

noun

a person who washes dishes.
a machine for washing dishes, kitchen utensils, etc., automatically.

dishwasher British

/ ˈdɪʃˌwɒʃə /

noun

an electrically operated machine for washing, rinsing, and drying dishes, cutlery, etc
a person who washes dishes, etc

"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 dishwasher

First recorded in 1520–30; dish + washer

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.

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

Today’s humanoid bots can barely load a dishwasher.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

Andrew's rule for stacking the dishwasher is - if you eat from it, put it in the lower rack, if you drink from it, place it in the upper rack.

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026

Grandma, who was at the sink rinsing dishes to stack in the dishwasher, stopped and looked at us.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles

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