rinse
Americanverb (used with object)
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rinses,
present (3rd person singular)
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rinsed,
past participle, past
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rinsing
present participle
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to wash lightly, as by pouring water into or over or by dipping in water.
to rinse a cup.
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to douse or drench in clean water as a final stage in washing.
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to remove (soap, dirt, etc.) by such a process (often followed byoff ).
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to use a rinse on (the hair).
noun
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rinses
plural
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an act or instance of rinsing.
-
the water used for rinsing.
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any preparation that may be used on the hair after washing, especially to tint or condition the hair.
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an act or instance of using such a preparation on the hair.
verb
-
to remove soap from (clothes, etc) by applying clean water in the final stage in washing
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to wash lightly, esp without using soap
to rinse one's hands
-
to give a light tint to (hair)
noun
-
the act or an instance of rinsing
-
hairdressing a liquid preparation put on the hair when wet to give a tint to it
a blue rinse
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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prerinsenoun
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rinsabilitynoun
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rinseabilitynoun
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rinsernoun
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prerinseverb (used with object)
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rinsableadjective
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rinseableadjective
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unrinsedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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rinsesimple
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rinsessimple
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have rinsedperfect
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has rinsedperfect
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am rinsingprogressive
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are rinsingprogressive
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is rinsingprogressive
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have been rinsingperfect progressive
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has been rinsingperfect progressive
Past
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rinsedsimple
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had rinsedperfect
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was rinsingprogressive
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were rinsingprogressive
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had been rinsingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of rinse
1300–50; Middle English ryncen < Middle French rincer, Old French recincier < Vulgar Latin *recentiāre to make new, refresh, equivalent to Latin recent- (stem of recēns ) fresh, recent + connective -i- + -āre infinitive suffix
Explanation
When you rinse something, you run water over it. You probably at least rinse your hands before sitting down to eat, and rinse your dishes afterward. After shampooing your hair in the shower you need to rinse it, and many recipes call for you to rinse rice before cooking it. You can also rinse your mouth out, either with water or mouthwash. When it's a noun, rinse means the act of rinsing, or a hair treatment: "After the red rinse, you'll barely recognize yourself." Rinse shares the Latin root recens, "fresh or new," with recent.
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.
See Examples For:
“And that is rinse and repeat what happens to really good art and really good movements, and it’s what happened with Afropunk.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
Drain, rinse under cold water and transfer to the baking dish.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
HPV levels also fell by 80% in oral rinse samples.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026
The outbreak is a reminder of one of the persistent questions that surrounds lettuce: Do I need to rinse my “triple-washed” lettuce?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
I grab clean clothes for myself and take them down the hall to the bathroom, where I rinse out the cut on my leg with a washcloth and change.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
Every subsequent concert just rinses and repeats the same story.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
A big challenge is dental plaque, a protective structure known as a biofilm that helps bacteria adhere to teeth and makes them more resistant to removal by saliva, mouth rinses and some antimicrobial agents.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Other work has raised similar questions about antibacterial mouth rinses.
From Science Daily ● May 25, 2026
The action of the water releases more cyanide, nitriles and cyanohydrins, and squeezing rinses them away.
From Salon ● May 6, 2024
A couple of rinses in the restroom transform my mouth from a swamp of puke residue to normal.
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
Jack had reached for a vol-au-vent, swallowed it whole in one bite, rinsed it down with a glass of champagne and seized center stage all in one action.
From Slate ● Aug. 15, 2026
To prepare the samples, potatoes were rinsed, peeled, cut into strips, blanched, and salted.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 2, 2026
Here we are again, having washed, rinsed and repeated the process with the same shampoo in a different scent.
From Salon ● Mar. 5, 2026
This dread has been my constant companion ever since I lathered up, rinsed and watched handfuls of dirty blonde strands circle the drain three weeks ago.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 9, 2025
Father and Peter emptied our improvised potties and rinsed them with warm water and powdered bleach.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
After rinsing with water, participants consumed three small amounts of their assigned beverage.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 29, 2026
Kniel said her lab has tested the effects of rinsing cyclospora off produce, and found that it removes some eggs, but not all of them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
In the local hospital, a modest building nestled within the hillside town's trees and high grass, healthcare workers are rinsing both floor and walls with a chlorine solution.
From Barron's ● May 24, 2026
If you're rinsing your plates before putting them in the dishwasher you're doing it wrong, says Andrew Laughlin, principal researcher at consumer group Which?
From BBC ● Feb. 18, 2026
“There,” he said, rinsing her hand and patting it dry.
From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez
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