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wash

wash

11 8.1
A dry stream bed that fills with water after heavy rain
  • noun
  • /wɑʃ/
  • US
: arroyo seco
  • He found him laying in a dry wash in the sun.
  • Jeddito Wash

Examples

  • The hikers followed the trail that wound through the sandy wash under the hot sun.

  • Occasional road signs indicated a creek or a "wash," which Putnam explained was a dried-up streambed.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Well, the river used to flow along the dry wash at the foot of the mountain.

  • If I left the Chief here, I think he'll head south-west, down this wash and out to sea.

  • Mexican town's just over the wash.

  • Then they waited in the wash for someone to come pick them up and drive them into Tucson.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Their father drove the pickup down into the gravel wash at the far side of the pasture and stopped.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • I followed the car's course through dry washes, below hogbacks, over the lips of ridges.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • There is a large rock formation beside the dry wash that fills with water during storms.

  • After the heavy rains, the wash along the path turned into a rushing stream.

Synonyms

washout
vswash
  • Specialized
1 6.7

An area where heavy rain removes ground and makes roads unusable

describes the ongoing process of wearing away soil rather than the damaged site
dry wash
vswash
  • US
1 8.2

A dry stream bed that fills with water quickly after heavy rain in a desert

also denotes gradual wearing away of soil and gravel by water
rain-wash
vswash
  • Specialized
7.7

The washing away of soil from the ground by rain

applies to soil removal by water generally not only rain

Antonyms

deposit
  • Specialized
68 3.5

A layer of sand or minerals that nature leaves over time

Idioms

To punish someone by putting soap in their mouth for swearing

2 7.0

A secret or problem becomes known later

To talk about private, embarrassing things in front of other people

To tell someone off for saying rude words, sometimes by putting soap in their mouth

To try to get rid of bad pictures or thoughts in your mind after something upsetting

6.3

Refuse to take the blame for a problem

6.7

Stop being involved and refuse to take responsibility for someone or something

Compounds

1 1.0

A day for doing the family's laundry

Cloth that does not need ironing after it is washed

wash room
  • Canadian
1 1.0

A public room with toilets and sinks for cleaning hands

1 8.2

A dry stream bed that fills with water quickly after heavy rain in a desert

prop wash
  • Specialized
1 8.4

A propeller or rotor pushes air backward that can shake things nearby

color wash
  • Specialized
1 5.4

A thin see-through layer of water-based paint that gives a surface a soft blended color

color wash
  • Specialized
1 5.5

A uniform tint added across an image to change its mood

wash-hand stand
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A small table that holds a basin and pitcher for washing hands before indoor plumbing

wash drawing
  • Specialized
1 7.5

A picture that uses thin watercolor layers to make soft shades and depth

A place that cleans a car both inside and outside

A fabric you can wash and wear without ironing

5.3

Large flat laundry items like sheets and towels that are ironed by machine

rain-wash
  • Specialized
7.7

The washing away of soil from the ground by rain

Soft absorbent cloth used to clean and shine cars and other surfaces

wash up
  • Jargon
9.3

A short time at the end of Parliament when bills are rushed through

A bowl fixed to a wall or on a stand where people clean their hands and face

wish-wash
  • Archaic
9.5

Unclear or silly talk without any real meaning

wish-wash
  • Archaic
9.9

A weak, watery drink with little taste

How Big

canyon
246 2.5
gully
21 4.7
wash
  • US
11 8.1
rill
2 8.6

Surface Forms

wash singular
washes plural

Etymology

The noun wash for a dry stream comes from the same idea of a sudden rush of water that 'washes' through a dry bed after heavy rain, so a wash is the place where water runs in storms.