washwoman

[ wosh-woom-uhn, wawsh- ]

/ ˈwɒʃˌwʊm ən, ˈwɔʃ- /

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noun, plural wash·wom·en.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of washwoman

First recorded in 1580–90; wash + -woman

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use washwoman in a sentence

His bosom friends were the son of a Jewish junk dealer, the son of a colored wash-woman, and the son of an Irish day laborer.
The Grain Of Dust|David Graham Phillips
In an uncouth world he was a gentleman; he bowed as courteously to a wash-woman as to an heiress.
Watch Yourself Go By|Al. G. Field
The son of a wash-woman begins re-making himself socially and imparts his system to his numerous friends.
Much Ado About Peter|Jean Webster
The sneers and insults she received soon limited her journeyings from home, and she finally became the village wash-woman.
The Grain Ship|Morgan Robertson

I called the white-wash woman to come with her brush and cover up the filthy sight, if she could not cleanse the dirt away.
Woman in Prison|Caroline H. Woods

British Dictionary definitions for washwoman

washwoman

/ (ˈwɒʃˌwʊmən) /

noun plural -women

a less common word for washerwoman

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012