laundromat

American  

[lawn-druh-mat, lahn-] / ˈlɔn drəˌmæt, ˈlɑn- /

noun

1. a self-service laundry having coin-operated washers, driers, etc.; launderette.

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Laundromat British  

/ ˈlɔːndrəˌmæt /

noun

1. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): Launderette.   laundrette.  a commercial establishment where clothes can be washed and dried, using coin-operated machines

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Etymology

Origin of laundromat

First recorded in 1940–45; formerly a trademark, originally a brand of washer

Example Sentences

“Have you ever seen a ‘Going Out of Business’ sign on a coin-operated laundromat?

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

It plans to deploy a third robot at a laundromat in Walnut Creek in the new year, he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2025

Rakhmetzhanov carries his laptop at all times, he said, and has resolved software bugs while out walking, during dinners, at the laundromat and on the toilet.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 12, 2025

The singer, known for songs such as 9-5 and Jolene, met Dean outside a laundromat the first day she arrived in Nashville as an 18-year-old aspiring singer.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2025

My mother turns off the music playing from her cell phone, unfazed by my argument that the laundromat is a short walk from our apartment.

From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi