wash
22
8.1
- 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
3
6.7
An area where heavy rain removes ground and makes roads unusable
1
8.2
A dry stream bed that fills with water quickly after heavy rain in a desert
The washing away of soil from the ground by rain
Antonyms
Idioms
- Informal
8
6.7
Stop being involved and refuse to take responsibility for someone or something
- Informal
5
7.4
To tell someone off for saying rude words, sometimes by putting soap in their mouth
- Informal
1
9.9
To try to get rid of bad pictures or thoughts in your mind after something upsetting
1
8.8
To punish someone by putting soap in their mouth for swearing
- Informal
To talk about private, embarrassing things in front of other people
Compounds
- Specialized
A thin see-through layer of water-based paint that gives a surface a soft blended color
- Specialized
A picture that uses thin watercolor layers to make soft shades and depth
- Archaic
A small table that holds a basin and pitcher for washing hands before indoor plumbing
How Big
Surface Forms
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.