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washwoman

American  
[wosh-woom-uhn, wawsh-] / ˈwɒʃˌwʊm ən, ˈwɔʃ- /

noun

plural

washwomen

  1. washerwoman.

washwoman British  
/ ˈwɒʃˌwʊmən /

noun

  1. 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

Etymology

Origin of washwoman

First recorded in 1580–90; wash + -woman

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.

I remember once going to Washington Park with our washwoman to a Fourth of August celebration.

From Washington Post • Jul. 26, 2018

One was Mrs. Blanche Dunkel, 42, plain, heavy-jawed washwoman, a four-time widow.

From Time Magazine Archive

This procedure rubs the cloth samples as hard as any washing machine or washwoman can ever do.

From Time Magazine Archive

Her mother was a washwoman in St. Louis, her father a porter.

From Time Magazine Archive

“A washwoman is the one thing I don’t need right now. If you had any manservants capable of ditch digging, I’d take you up on the offer, but ...” He paused and shook his head.

From "Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson

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.