washer
n.a machine used for cleaning clothes or dishes. It can also mean a small, flat ring of metal or plastic used to make a bolt or screw fit more tightly.
n.a household appliance designed for laundering clothes or linens. Also refers to a thin, flat ring used in mechanical assemblies to distribute the load of a threaded fastener or prevent leakage.
“I need to put a load of towels in the washer.”
“The repairman replaced a worn rubber washer to stop the kitchen faucet from leaking.”
“While the industrial-sized washer handled the heavy linens, the technician inspected the plumbing assembly to ensure every metal washer was seated correctly against the valve housing.”
Commonly used as a shorthand for 'washing machine' in North American English.
From Middle English wasshere, wassher, equivalent to wash + -er. Cognate with Dutch wasser, German Wäscher.
Unclear. First recorded in the 14th century.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.