Washing

/ˈwɒʃ.ɪŋ/ · noun

Meaning

(countable) The action of the verb to wash..

Definitions by Sense

1. (countable) The action of the verb to wash.
2. (uncountable, chiefly British, New Zealand, Australia) Clothing, bedlinen or soft furnishings that have been, are currently being, or are to be washed; laundry.
3. (countable, often in the plural) The residue after an ore, etc, has been washed.
4. The liquid used to wash an ore.
5. A place where a precious metal found in gravel is separated from lighter material by washing.
6. A thin covering or coat.
7. (stock market, finance) A fraudulent transaction in which the same stock is simultaneously bought and sold for the purpose of manipulating the market.
8. (pottery) The covering of a piece with an infusible powder, which prevents it from sticking to its supports, while receiving the glaze.

Example Sentences

I then took a piece of dry stone, ground it fine in a mortar, and placed the powder in water, the sand particles sunk rapidly to the bottom, while the clay remained suspended, and by several washings and decantings the sand and clay could be approximately separated ;[…]

My mother used to do the washing on a Monday.

[…] Hazel telling about how she liked a good woodpile, especially when she used to take in washing to earn a little extra. She needed a goodly pile to fuel her washtubs.

The washings have a higher concentration of metal.

the gold-washings, or silver-washings

a washing of silver

Synonyms for washing

Antonyms for washing

Related Words

Word Forms

• washings

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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