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washwoman

washwoman

1 6.9
A woman who cleans other people's clothes, usually from her own home
  • noun
  • /ˈwɔːʃˌwʊmən/
  • Archaic
translation icon : lavandera
  • The local washwoman picked up a new batch of laundry from the neighborhood yesterday.

Examples

  • My grandmother used to say that a good washwoman is worth her weight in gold for keeping clothes pristine.

  • She might be with the washwoman, beating clothes with rocks against the cement cistern, or helping the cook.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Every Wednesday, the washwoman would wash and iron the clothes for several families in her community.

Synonyms

washer
vswashwoman
10 1.8

A person who washes clothes or sheets for a living

is specifically a woman who often works from her own home
washerwoman
vswashwoman
  • Archaic
3 7.2

A woman who cleans other people's clothes for money

typically works from her own home rather than elsewhere
laundress
vswashwoman
  • Archaic
3 7.3

A woman who washes and irons clothes for other people

focuses mainly on washing rather than ironing or other services
laundrywoman
vswashwoman
  • Archaic
1 4.7

A woman who washes and irons clothes for other people

focuses on clothes only rather than also handling linens
launderer
vswashwoman
1 3.6

A person or shop that washes and irons other people's clothes

is typically a single woman working from her own home, not a business
washman
vswashwoman
  • Archaic
9.9

A woman who washes other people's clothes for pay

refers to present home-based work rather than older historical usage

Surface Forms

washwoman singular
washwomen plural

Morphology

washwoman = wash + woman (transparent) = wash + woman

A straightforward compound 'wash' + 'woman' meaning a woman who does washing (laundry), which learners can readily infer.

Etymology

Washwoman is a simple compound of wash ('to clean with water') and woman ('an adult female'). It was originally used for a woman who washed other people's clothes, which is why it means a woman whose job is to do laundry for others.