Dictionary

washerwoman en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree English washer Proto-Germanic *wībą Proto-West Germanic *wīb Old English wīf Proto-Indo-European *mon- Proto-Germanic *mann- Proto-West Germanic *mann Old English mann Old English wīfmann Middle English woman Middle English -woman English -woman English washerwoman From washer + -woman.

Meanings

1. A woman who washes people's laundry.
   • ‘I wish it would rain,’ continued she; ‘only we are going to have a six-week’s wash to-morrow, and that’s a heavy job for the poor creatures. La! don’t you pity washerwomen in hot weather; it’s the hardest work that’s done.’ 1810, [anonymous] […], chapter XXVIII, in Splendid Follies. A Novel, […]. Founded on Facts., volume III, London: […] J[ames] F[letcher] Hughes, […], →OCLC, pages 123–124:
2. (colloquial) A double drummer, large cicada of Australia, of species Thopha saccata.
3. A weedy plant of the Americas (Alternanthera caracasana).

Forms

Coordinates

washerman

Deriveds

washerwoman's itch · washerwomanly

Synonyms

laundress

Translations (37)

pl praczka (woman whose employment is laundering) · tl labandera (woman whose employment is laundering) · fi pesijätär (woman whose employment is laundering) · ru пра́чка (woman whose employment is laundering) · eo lavistino (woman whose employment is laundering) · bg перачка (woman whose employment is laundering) · ca bugadera (woman whose employment is laundering) · qu t'aqsaq (woman whose employment is laundering) · nrf laverêsse (woman whose employment is laundering) · ka მრეცხავი (woman whose employment is laundering) · ga caile daibhche (woman whose employment is laundering) · yi וועשערין (woman whose employment is laundering) · ro spălătoreasă (woman whose employment is laundering) · sv tvätterska (woman whose employment is laundering) · hu mosónő (woman whose employment is laundering) · ga bean níocháin (woman whose employment is laundering) · fr lavandière (woman whose employment is laundering) · no vaskekone (woman whose employment is laundering) · hy լվացարարուհի (woman whose employment is laundering) · cs pradlena (woman whose employment is laundering) · fr laveuse (woman whose employment is laundering) · pt lavadeira (woman whose employment is laundering) · nv asdzání daʼiigisígíí (woman whose employment is laundering) · el πλύστρα (woman whose employment is laundering) · ru мо́йщица (woman whose employment is laundering) · fr blanchisseuse (woman whose employment is laundering) · ar غَسَّالَة (woman whose employment is laundering) · de Waschfrau (woman whose employment is laundering) · rsk райбачка (woman whose employment is laundering) · da vaskekone (woman whose employment is laundering) · io lavistino (woman whose employment is laundering) · sco washerwife (woman whose employment is laundering) · es lavandera (woman whose employment is laundering) · grc πλύντρια (woman whose employment is laundering) · hi धोबिन (woman whose employment is laundering) · de Wäscherin (woman whose employment is laundering) · az paltaryuyan (woman whose employment is laundering)