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WASHING
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
The work of cleansing (usually with soap and water)
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Nouns denoting acts or actions
Hypernyms ("washing" is a kind of...):
work (activity directed toward making or doing something)
Meronyms (parts of "washing"):
rinse; rinsing (the removal of soap with clean water in the final stage of washing)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "washing"):
bathing; washup (the act of washing yourself (or another person))
ablution (the ritual washing of a priest's hands or of sacred vessels)
dishwashing; washup (the act of washing dishes)
washing-up (the washing of dishes etc after a meal)
window-washing (the activity of washing windows)
rinse (washing lightly without soap)
soak; soaking (washing something by allowing it to soak)
laundering (washing clothes and bed linens)
Derivation:
wash (cleanse (one's body) with soap and water)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Garments or white goods that can be cleaned by laundering
Synonyms:
laundry; wash; washables; washing
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("washing" is a kind of...):
garment (an article of clothing)
household linen; white goods (drygoods for household use that are typically made of white cloth)
II. (verb)
Sense 1
-ing form of the verb wash
Context examples:
Washing your hands and staying away from people with colds will help you avoid colds.
(Common Cold, NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
Bronchial washing is used to find infections.
(Bronchial washing, NCI Dictionary)
Aunt Em was washing the dishes.
(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)
"Some of Maria's washing smells, I imagine," was the answer. "I am growing quite accustomed to them."
(Martin Eden, by Jack London)
A person may repeat a behavior, such as hand-washing, over and over.
(Compulsion, NCI Dictionary)
Hand washing is one of the most effective and most overlooked ways to stop disease.
(Germs and Hygiene, NIH)
A question about whether an individual requires or required assistance with eating, dressing, washing themselves or using the toilet.
(Need Help with Eating, Dressing, Washing or Toilet, NCI Thesaurus)
Proper hand washing and safe food preparation may help prevent infections.
(Norovirus Infections, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Peritoneal washings are commonly done during surgery for cancer of the ovary and uterus, to see if cancer has spread to the peritoneal cavity.
(Peritoneal washing, NCI Dictionary)
“The tide keeps washing her down. Could you pull a little stronger?”
(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)
