hand-washing
Americannoun
-
the act or activity of laundering something by hand.
-
the act or activity of washing one’s hands.
Etymology
Origin of hand-washing
First recorded in 1790–95; hand ( def. ) + washing ( def. )
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.
When AFP visited, she was carrying water in large, plastic jerry cans and hand-washing clothes in a bowl on the dirt floor.
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
“We have tried to intervene with limited resources by setting up a hand-washing station and providing some personal protective equipment for staff,” Lusenge told the Journal by email.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 24, 2026
Parents have been told to be vigilant and ensure strict hygiene at home, with authorities advising regular hand-washing, washing of fruit and vegetables, thoroughly cooking meat and separating raw and cooked food.
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2025
Last month, inspectors found what appeared to be mold and mildew around the hand-washing sinks used by workers preparing ready-to-eat meats, CBS News reported.
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2024
These tough ratings sat up in bed darning their socks, and insisted on hand-washing their own smalls, which they dried on washing lines improvised from string, suspended along the radiators.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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.
