- present participle of wash.
washing
Americannoun
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washings
plural
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the act of a person or thing that washes; ablution.
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clothes, linens, etc., washed or to be washed, especially those washed at one time; wash.
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Often washings any liquid that has been used to wash something.
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matter removed or carried off in washing something or by the force of water.
The washings from numerous spring floods had clogged the mouth of the river.
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Mining.
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material, as gold dust, obtained by washing earth, gravel, etc.
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the deposits so washed.
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Metalworking. wash.
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the act of making a wash sale.
noun
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articles that have been or are to be washed together on a single occasion
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liquid in which an article has been washed
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something, such as gold dust or metal ore, that has been obtained by washing
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a thin coat of something applied in liquid form
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of washing
First recorded in 1175–1225, washing is from the Middle English word wasschunge. See wash, -ing 1
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:
Victoria Owen said she had implemented a "don't waste it" rule, encouraging her children to have short showers and re-use the water after washing dishes.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
“If a washing machine breaks, nobody laughs,” said Dennis Hong, an engineering professor at UCLA.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
They include steel, aluminum, clothing, smartphones and other electronics, fish, dishwashers, washing machines, and stoves.
From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026
Preparing and cooking food thoroughly can prevent infection, as well as washing your hands after using the bathroom and before handling food.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Nali had simply placed a large bowl on top of a wooden stump next to the Cleaning tank on the eastern side of the chaha’oh and called it the washing area.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
With a little Woolite — and the stomach to ignore the tsk-tsk of “dry clean only” — it’ll survive a hundred washings.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2024
When they couldn’t identify any known cold virus, they inoculated adult volunteers with extracts from the nasal washings to confirm that something in the samples caused colds.
From Science Magazine ● Jan. 11, 2024
Do not let the stained fabric dry out between washings!
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2022
A comfortable, nonslip grip and the ability to stand up to many uses and washings are other considerations.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 23, 2020
Its frantic little banners seemed to be signaling distress now, on account of Mama Tataba’s vigorous washings in the river.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
