washout
Americannoun
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a washing out of earth, gravel, etc., by water, as from an embankment or a roadway by heavy rain or by a flash flood.
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the hole, break, or erosion produced by such a washing out.
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Aeronautics. Also wash-out a warp in an airfoil that gives a decrease in the angle of attack toward the tip.
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Informal. an utter failure.
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Informal. a person who has failed a course of training or study.
air force washouts.
Etymology
Origin of washout
First recorded in 1870–75; noun use of verb phrase wash out
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.
In July, rides were canceled because of washout risks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
The group said the problem was not forecast accuracy, but how it was displayed, with a brief overnight shower sometimes shown as an all-day washout.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
Following a washout period, they consumed a low-carotenoid tomato juice for another four weeks.
From Science Daily ● May 30, 2026
Stocks may stage a tepid recovery from Tuesday’s Greenland-inspired washout, but anxiety remains high as President Trump arrives in Davos.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 21, 2026
With my pockets bulging with ammunition, I climbed out of the washout and ran back to the sycamore tree.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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.
