squeegee

American  

[skwee-jee, skwee-jee] / ˈskwi dʒi, skwiˈdʒi /

noun

1. an implement edged with rubber or the like, for removing water from windows after washing, sweeping water from wet decks, etc.

2. a similar and smaller device, as for removing excess water from photographic negatives or prints or for forcing paint, ink, etc., through a porous surface, as in serigraphy.

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verb (used with object)

squeegeed, squeegeeing

1. to sweep, scrape, or press with or as if with a squeegee.

2. to force (paint, ink, etc.) through a screen in making a silk-screen print.

squeegee British  

/ ˈskwiːdʒiː /

noun

1. an implement with a rubber blade used for wiping away surplus water from a surface, such as a windowpane

2. any of various similar devices used in photography for pressing the water out of wet prints or negatives or for squeezing prints onto a glazing surface

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verb

1. to remove (water or other liquid) from (something) by use of a squeegee

2. (tr) to press down (a photographic print, etc) with a squeegee

Etymology

Origin of squeegee

First recorded in 1835–45; originally a nautical term; of obscure origin

Explanation

A squeegee is a tool that's used for cleaning windows. You can wash your windows without one, but a rubber-edged squeegee makes cleaning a lot easier (and more fun — because you get to say the word squeegee). The word squeegee first appeared among sailors, describing a leather-edged device for cleaning a ship's deck. In 1851's Moby Dick, there is a reference to a "leathern squilgee." The word probably comes from the now-obsolete verb squeege, "to press." This tool eventually evolved into the rubber and metal (or plastic) version we know today, used for printing, photography, and window cleaning.

Example Sentences

She displayed “Poppy,” a squeegee abstract in cheery red and blue hues, in her living room, with an untitled version in subtler white and green hues from 2009 hanging in her bedroom.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

"For a brief second, I thought there was someone with a squeegee mop cleaning the outside of the window. I turned around, and it was the bear's wet nose rubbing against the window."

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

Now, 30 years after it premiered here, also around Thanksgiving, the digital squeegee has been applied to “Anthology,” the band’s own multi-part video memoir.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 26, 2025

Edan McPherson dips a long squeegee into a pool of melted chocolate, draws the rubber blade across the coarse mesh.

From New York Times • Sep. 1, 2023

The man tucked the squeegee and chamois in his back pant pocket, picked up the bucket and brush, and headed toward the van.

From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez

Related Words

• dab
• swab
• wipe