wash

1 verb

1 WASH SOMETHING (T) to clean something using soap and water: I'm just going to wash my hands. | This shirt needs washing. | wash the dishes: It's your turn to wash the dishes.

2 WASH YOURSELF (I) to clean yourself with soap and water: Amy washed and went to bed.

3 FLOW (intransitive always + adv/prep, transitive always + adv/prep) if a liquid or something carried by a liquid washes or is washed in a particular direction, it flows there

(+ against/away etc): The waves washed against the shore. | wash sth away/against/down etc: Floods had washed away the topsoil. | wash ashore (=be brought to the shore by waves): debris washed ashore by the tide

4 sth doesn't/won't wash spoken used to say that you do not believe or accept someone's explanation, reason, attitude etc: I'm sorry but all his charm just doesn't wash with me.

5 wash your hands of sth to refuse to be responsible for something anymore: I've washed my hands of the whole affair.

6 wash your dirty linen in public to discuss something unpleasant or embarrassing in public

7 wash your mouth out! spoken used when someone has just sworn or said something rude, to tell them they should not have spoken that way

8 wash well/badly to be easy or difficult to clean using soap and water: Silk doesn't wash well.

—see also: wash up wash 1 wash sth down phrasal verb (T)

1 to clean something large using a lot of water: Can you wash down the driveway?

2 to drink something to help you swallow food or medicine: wash sth down with sth: steak and chips washed down with red wine

wash sth off phrasal verb

1 (T) to clean dirt, dust etc from the surface of something with water

2 (I) if a substance washes off, you can remove it from the surface of something by washing: Will this paint wash off?

wash sth out phrasal verb

1 (T) to wash something quickly to get rid of the dirt in it: I'll just wash out my paint rags first.

2 (I) if a substance washes out, you can remove it from a material by washing it

3 be washed out if an event is washed out, it cannot continue because of rain: The summer fair was washed out by the English weather.

—see also: washed­out, washout wash over sb phrasal verb (T) if a feeling washes over you, you suddenly feel it very strongly: A feeling of relief washed over her as the plane landed. wash up phrasal verb

1 (I, T) especially BrE to wash plates, dishes, knives etc

—see also: washing­up

2 (I) AmE to wash your hands: Go wash up before dinner.

3 (transitive wash something up) if waves wash something up, they bring it to the shore: His body was washed up the next morning.

—see also: wash ashore wash 1 (3), washed­up USAGE NOTE: WASH GRAMMAR You do not usually use the expression wash yourself unless a special effort is needed: He washed/had a wash, dressed, and fixed breakfast. | Several children in the class still can't wash themselves. 2 noun

1 ACT OF CLEANING (C) an act of cleaning something using soap and water: Those drapes need a wash. | have a wash: I'll just have a quick wash before we go.

2 in the wash waiting to be washed, being washed, or drying: Your blue shirt's in the wash - you'll have to wear another one. | shrink/fade/get damaged etc in the wash: I'm afraid your black sweater shrank in the wash.

3 it'll all come out in the wash spoken used to tell someone not to worry about a problem because it will be solved in the future

4 BOAT (singular, uncountable) the movement of water caused by a passing boat

5 SEA/RIVER the wash of the movement or sound made by flowing water: the wash of the waves against the rocks

6 SKIN (C) a liquid used to clean your skin: an anti-bacterial face wash

7 COLOUR (C) a very thin transparent layer of paint or colour

8 CLOTHES (singular, uncountable) AmE clothes that need to be washed, are being washed, or have just been washed; washing BrE: do the wash (=wash dirty clothes) | hang the wash out (=put it on the washing line)

9 RIVER also dry wash (C) AmE a river in a desert that usually has no water in it

10 (singular) the area of land that is sometimes covered by the sea