Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Language: Old English
Origin: wascan

wash

1 verb
     
wash1 S1 W3
1

wash something

[transitive] to clean something using water and a type of soap:
This shirt needs washing.
It's your turn to wash the dishes.
2

wash yourself

[intransitive and transitive] to clean your body with soap and water:
Amy washed and went to bed.
She had a hot bath and washed her hair.
I'm just going to wash my hands.
wash yourself
When a cat has finished eating, it usually washes itself.
3

flow

[intransitive,transitive always + adverb/preposition] if a river, sea etc washes somewhere, or if something carried by the river or sea is washed somewhere, it flows or moves there:
The waves washed against the shore.
The sea washed over her.
The young man was washed overboard (=pushed from a boat into the sea by the force of the water) in the storm.
The body was washed ashore (=brought to the shore by waves).
4

something doesn't/won't wash (with somebody)

spoken used to say that you do not believe or accept someone's explanation, reason, attitude etc:
I'm sorry but all his charm just doesn't wash with me.
5

wash your hands of something

to refuse to be responsible for something any more:
I've washed my hands of the whole affair.
6

wash your mouth out!

spoken old-fashioned used to tell someone who has just sworn or said something rude that they should not have spoken that way
7

wash well

to be easy to clean using soap and water:
Silk doesn't wash well.

➔ wash/air your dirty linen/laundry (in public)

at dirty1 (7)

wash something ↔ away

phrasal verb
1 if water washes something away, it carries it away with great force:
Floods in Bangladesh have washed hundreds of homes away.
2 to get rid of unhappy feelings, thoughts, or memories:
My anxiety was washed away.

wash something ↔ down

phrasal verb
1DHC to clean something large using a lot of water:
Can you wash down the driveway?
2 to drink something with or after food or with medicine to help you swallow it
wash something ↔ down with
steak and chips washed down with red wine

wash off

phrasal verb
1DHC

wash something ↔ off

to clean dirt, dust etc from the surface of something with water
2 if a substance washes off, you can remove it from the surface of something by washing:
Will this paint wash off?

wash out

phrasal verb
1DHC

wash something ↔ out

to wash the inside of something quickly:
I'll just wash out this vase for flowers.
2 if a substance washes out, you can remove it from a material by washing it:
a dye that won't wash out
3

be washed out

if an event is washed out, it cannot continue because of rain:
The summer fair was washed out by the English weather.

wash over somebody

phrasal verb
1 if a feeling washes over you, you suddenly feel it very strongly:
A feeling of relief washed over her.
2 if you let something wash over you, you do not pay close attention to it:
She was content to let the conversation wash over her.

wash up

phrasal verb
1 British EnglishDHC to wash plates, dishes, knives etc ➔ washing-up
2 American English to wash your hands:
Go wash up before dinner.
3

wash something ↔ up

if waves wash something up, they carry it to the shore
wash something ↔ up on
His body was washed up on the beach the next morning.
➔ washed-up
WORD FOCUS: clean WORD FOCUS: clean
wash with soap and water
wipe with a damp cloth
brush with a brush to remove the dirt
polish by rubbing with a cloth
scrub by rubbing hard
sweep with a broom
mop with water and a mop (a tool with a long handle)
vacuum also hoover British English with a machine that sucks up dust
disinfect using chemicals to kill germs
cleanse to clean your skin using a special cream
rinse to put water on to remove dirt or soap
dust to remove dust, for example with a cloth

➔ See also clean
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
 
Dictionary pictures of the day
Do you know what each of these is called?
What is the word for picture 1? What is the word for picture 2? What is the word for picture 3? What is the word for picture 4?
Click on any of the pictures above to find out what it is called.

Explore our topic dictionary

ADVERTISING AND MARKETINGANIMALSBANKING
BIOLOGYBUSINESS BASICSCOMPUTERS
CLOTHESDAILY LIFEEDUCATION
FINANCEFOODGRAMMAR
HAIR AND BEAUTYHUMANLAW
MUSICNATURESPORT
STOCKS AND SHARESTECHNOLOGYTRADE