WordGarden.iowash
A1Pronunciation
UK
- /wˈɒʃ/
US
- /ˈwɑʃ/
Meanings
Verb
to clean with water, often with soap
to flow over, carry, or wear away with water
Noun
an act of washing or a load of laundry being washed
a thin layer of diluted paint, ink, or color
a result with no real gain, loss, or difference
Beyond the definition
To wash something is to clean it with water and often soap. You might wash your hands after gardening or wash the dishes after dinner. But "wash" is not just about cleaning. A gentle wave can wash over a beach, and feelings can wash over you too, like a sudden wave of sadness or relief.
Think of it this way: water is often part of it, and the idea is that something unwanted is being taken away, like dirt, mud, or even bad feelings. You might wash away your worries with a long bath, or wash your hands of a difficult situation, meaning you want nothing to do with it anymore. You might even hear that a weak excuse "won't wash," which means people will not accept it.
The word "wash" has a broad range of meanings, but most of them connect to water, cleaning, or the movement of liquid. At its simplest, to wash means to clean something with water and often soap or detergent. "She washed her clothes," "He washed the car," and "Please wash your hands" are all clear examples.
However, "wash" goes beyond physical cleaning. It can describe the movement of water or another liquid: "The waves washed against the shore." It can also be used in a figurative way to describe a feeling or force moving over someone: "A wave of sadness washed over her." In these cases, the idea is not cleaning, but something moving over, across, or away.
"Wash" also appears in several common idioms. To "wash your hands of" something means to stop being responsible for it, as if you were removing it from your skin. To "wash out" can mean to fail and leave a course or program, or to lose color, as in "The sun washed out the photograph." The "wash" of a boat is the moving water left behind it.
Finally, in geography and geology, a "wash" can mean a dry stream bed or channel shaped by flowing water, especially in dry regions. So whether you are cleaning dishes, talking about waves on a shore, describing feelings that come suddenly, or naming a land feature, "wash" can refer to cleaning, flowing, or carrying something away.
Examples
- 1
Hygiene
Please wash your hands before dinner.
- 2
Dirty boots
I washed the mud off my boots outside.
- 3
Care instructions
This sweater has to be washed by hand.
- 4
Fabric quality
Luckily, this fabric washes well and doesn't shrink.
- Phrasewashes well
can be washed easily without being damaged
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Dishes
Could you wash up after dinner while I answer this email?
- Phrasewash up
wash the dishes after a meal
- 6
Stains
That grass stain should wash out if you soak the shirt first.
- Phrasewash out
disappear when you wash it
- 7
Heavy rain
The heavy rain washed away the footprints.
- Phrasewash away
remove and carry off with water
- 8
Emotional reaction
Relief washed over me when I got his text.
- Patternwash over + someone
suddenly make that person feel something strongly
- 9
Laundry mishap
My white T-shirts turned pink in the wash.
- Phrasein the wash
while being washed with other clothes
See also
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- washnounverbadjective
Forms
- washing-ing formverbnounadjective
- washedpast tenseverbnounadjective
- washespluralnounverbadjective