Washing

//ˈwɑʃ.ɪŋ// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The action of the verb to wash countable

    "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 […]"

  2. 2
    the work of cleansing (usually with soap and water) wordnet
  3. 3
    Clothing, bedlinen or soft furnishings that have been, are currently being, or are to be washed; laundry. Australia, British, New-Zealand, uncountable

    "My mother used to do the washing on a Monday"

  4. 4
    garments or white goods that can be cleaned by laundering wordnet
  5. 5
    The residue after an ore, etc, has been washed countable, in-plural, often

    "The washings have a higher concentration of metal"

Show 5 more definitions
  1. 6
    The liquid used to wash an ore. countable, uncountable
  2. 7
    A place where a precious metal found in gravel is separated from lighter material by washing. countable, uncountable

    "the gold-washings, or silver-washings"

  3. 8
    A thin covering or coat. countable, uncountable

    "a washing of silver"

  4. 9
    A fraudulent transaction in which the same stock is simultaneously bought and sold for the purpose of manipulating the market. countable, uncountable
  5. 10
    The covering of a piece with an infusible powder, which prevents it from sticking to its supports, while receiving the glaze. countable, uncountable
Verb
  1. 1
    present participle and gerund of wash form-of, gerund, participle, present

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English waschynge, weschynge, from Old English *weasċing, *wæsċing (attested in weasċingweġ), from Proto-West Germanic *waskingu, equivalent to wash + -ing. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Waaskenge (“washing”), West Frisian wasking (“washing”), Dutch wassing (“washing”), German Waschung (“washing”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English waschyng, wasschynge, wasschinge, wesschinge, wassende, from Old English *wasċende, *wæsċende, from Proto-West Germanic *waskandī, from Proto-Germanic *waskandz (“washing”), present participle of Proto-Germanic *waskaną (“to wash”), equivalent to wash + -ing. Cognate with Dutch wassend, German waschend, Swedish vaskande.

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