laundromat
[ lawn-druh-mat, lahn- ]
/ ˈlɔn drəˌmæt, ˈlɑn- /
noun
a self-service laundry having coin-operated washers, driers, etc.; launderette.
RELATED WORDS
Nearby words
launcher, launder, launderette, laundress, laundrette, laundromat, laundry, laundry list, laundryman, laundrywoman, laura
Origin of laundromat
First recorded in 1940–45; formerly a trademark, originally a brand of washer
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for laundromat
British Dictionary definitions for laundromat
Laundromat
/ (ˈlɔːndrəˌmæt) /
noun
trademark US, Canadian and NZ a commercial establishment where clothes can be washed and dried, using coin-operated machinesAlso called (in Britain and certain other countries): Launderette, laundrette
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for laundromat
laundromat
"automatic coin-operated public laundry," 1946, originally (1942) a proprietary name by Westinghouse for a type of automatic washing machine; from laundry + ending probably suggested by automat. Also used for public clothes-washing places in U.S. were washateria (1935), laundrette (1945). The Westinghouse machine was popular after the war and was available with coin chutes and timers.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper