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Washboard

noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A board with a corrugated surface against which laundry may be rubbed.
  2. 2
    protective covering consisting of a broad plank along a gunwale to keep water from splashing over the side wordnet
  3. 3
    Such a board used as a simple percussion instrument.
  4. 4
    device consisting of a corrugated surface to scrub clothes on wordnet
  5. 5
    A board fastened along a ship's gunwale to prevent splashing; a splashboard.
Show 3 more definitions
  1. 6
    A stretch of ripples or bumps on a dirt or gravel road caused by interaction between traffic and road surface.

    "washboard road"

  2. 7
    Ellipsis of washboard abs. abbreviation, alt-of, colloquial, ellipsis
  3. 8
    Baseboard; skirting board. dated
Verb
  1. 1
    To produce a rippled texture on a surface.

    "Doug came up with a half-guilty smile and washboarded his forehead at her."

  2. 2
    To play a washboard.

    "It's almost as if the urge to washboard is intrinsically human."

  3. 3
    To move up and down or back and forth across the surface of a hive, possibly to lay down a layer of propolis and wax.

    "Individual bees have been observed washboarding on the inside glass of an observation hive."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From wash + board.

Etymology 2

From wash + board.

See also for "washboard"

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