laundry
- 01 A2 Elementary
clothes, sheets, and towels that need to be washed, are being washed, or have just been washed.
items of clothing, bed linen, or towels that require laundering, are currently in the process, or have been recently cleaned.
Simple“I need to do the laundry because I have no clean socks left.”
In context“He left a massive pile of dirty laundry on the floor instead of putting it in the basket before he left for the weekend.”
UsageUsually uncountable when referring to the pile of clothes.
- 02 B1 Intermediate
a room or a business where clothes are washed and dried.
a commercial establishment or a specific room within a household or institution dedicated to laundering.
Simple“The apartment building has a shared laundry in the basement.”
In context“The hotel laundry handles hundreds of sheets and towels every morning to ensure the rooms are ready for new guests by noon.”
Synonymslaundromatutility roomlaunderette - 03 C1 Advanced
a business used to hide the fact that money was earned illegally.
a front organisation or business used to facilitate money laundering by concealing the origins of illicit funds.
Simple“The police suspected the small shop was actually a laundry for criminal money.”
In context“Investigators discovered that the car wash served as a sophisticated laundry, processing millions in illicit gains through a series of shell companies.”
Teacher's tipThis is a metaphorical extension of 'cleaning' dirty money; in formal legal contexts, use 'money laundering' instead.
Synonymsfrontmoney laundering
From Middle English lavendrie, from Old French lavanderie, from Latin lavandaria. See launder.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.