What does "washer" mean?
Something that washes; especially an appliance such as a washing machine or dishwasher.
Washer
/ˈwɒʃə(ɹ)/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Something that washes; especially an appliance such as a washing machine or dishwasher.
- Grammar: washer is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: washing machine, aquamanile, automatic dishwasher, automatic washer.
- Useful contrasts: bolt, dirt, dryer.
- Usage evidence: The window washer lost his grip and fell to his death.
How to use "washer"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "washer" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "washer" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "washer" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "washer" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "washer" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "washing machine" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "washer", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Something that washes; especially an appliance such as a washing machine or dishwasher.
"A £1.2 million carriage washer has opened at Norwich Crown Point, enabling Greater Anglia to clean its 58 Stadler trains. It is one of two new washers (the other is for '720s' at Southend), […]"
- 2 A flat piece of material, often of metal and often an annulus, placed beneath a nut or at some joint, to distribute pressure, alleviate friction, provide directionally differentiated friction (e.g. making the nut turn counter-clockwise only with difficulty), or prevent leakage.
"To ensure that the stays are steamtight, a nut is then screwed tight up to copper washers inside and out."
- 3 a home appliance for washing clothes and linens automatically wordnet
- 4 A person who washes (especially clothes) for a living; a washerman or washerwoman.
- 5 seal consisting of a flat disk placed to prevent leakage wordnet
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A person who washes their hands compulsively, as a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
- 7 someone who washes things for a living wordnet
- 8 A face cloth.
Verb
- 1 To fit (a mechanical device) with a washer. transitive
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The window washer lost his grip and fell to his death."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "washer"?
Common synonyms include: washing machine, aquamanile, automatic dishwasher, automatic washer, basin, bath.
How do you use "washer" in a sentence?
The window washer lost his grip and fell to his death.
How do you pronounce "washer"?
Pronounced /ˈwɒʃə(ɹ)/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English wasshere, wassher, equivalent to wash + -er. Cognate with Dutch wasser, German Wäscher.
Etymology 2
Unclear. First recorded in the 14th century.