Word
rinse
US/ˈɹɪns/
UK/ɹˈɪns/
日本語すすぐ※
注意In Japanese, リンス usually means “hair conditioner”. In English, rinse is a verb that means to wash something quickly with clean water, and hair conditioner is called conditioner.
주의In Korean, 린스 usually means “hair conditioner”. In English, rinse is usually a verb that means to wash something quickly with clean water, and hair conditioner is called conditioner.
Definition
v. to wash something quickly with clean water to remove soap, dirt, or food. You usually do this as the last step of cleaning.
v. to wash lightly with water, especially to remove soap or impurities. Often used as the final stage of a cleaning process.
Examples
“Always rinse the dishes after washing them with soap.”
“After swimming in the ocean, you should rinse your hair to remove the salt and sand.”
“The laboratory protocol requires technicians to rinse the glassware three times with distilled water to ensure no chemical residue remains to contaminate the next experiment.”
Examples
simple
“Always rinse the dishes after washing them with soap.”
contextual
“After swimming in the ocean, you should rinse your hair to remove the salt and sand.”
complex
“The laboratory protocol requires technicians to rinse the glassware three times with distilled water to ensure no chemical residue remains to contaminate the next experiment.”
Usage
The verb is transitive and takes a direct object. It can also be used with 'off' or 'out' to specify the removal of a substance.
Pitfall
rinse the soap from the plate
rinse the plate
While you can rinse soap 'off', the direct object of 'rinse' is usually the object being cleaned, not the substance being removed.
Etymology
From Middle English rinsen, rincen, rencen (“to rinse”), from Old French rincier, reinser, Old Northern French raïncer (“to rinse, cleanse”). Of contested origin. Possibly from Old Norse hreinsa, from Proto-Germanic hrainisōną (“to clean, purify”), from Proto-Indo-European krey- (“to separate, divide”). Alternatively from a dissimilation of Old French recincier, from Latin recentare (“to make fresh”). Cognate with French rincer. From the Germanic verb are Danish rense, Norwegian rense, Swedish rensa (all “to clean”), Old High German reinisōn (“to clean, purify, atone”). It is related to German rein (“pure”), Gothic 𐌷𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃 (hrains, “clean”), and English riddle. The Latin verb is related to recent.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/rinse
※ 機械で選んだ訳語です。ネイティブスピーカーによる確認はまだです。
「日本語」「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
‘외래어’ data: 한국어기초사전 (국립국어원), CC BY-SA 2.0 KR