Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definitions: Washer |
WasherNoun1. Someone who washes things for a living. 2. Seal consisting of a flat disk placed to prevent leakage. 3. A home appliance for washing clothes and linens automatically. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "washer" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1550. (references) |
Note: Washer \Wash"er\, noun. [from Anglo-Saxon expression w[ae]scere.]. (Websters 1913) |
| Domain | Definitions |
Electrical Engineering | A piece of semiconductor separated from a large crystal by a slicing operation, such as cutting with high speed abrasive wheels. Source: European Union. (references) |
Industry | A type of breaker in which washing and bleaching of the pulp suspension can be carried out. Source: European Union. (references) |
Occupations | Tends equipment that flushes rayon yarn with boiling bleach solution to remove spinning-bath residue and bleach product prior to finishing: Removes full cones, bobbins, $T3cakes,$T1 or skeins of yarn from spinning (forming) machines and places product on wash rack. Turns valves to start flow of bleach water to flush yarn. Replaces empty bobbins or cones on spindles of spinning machines. May hang skeins in tubs of bleach solution and be designated Dipper (plastic-synth.) or in tubs of chemicals and be designated Desulfurizer, Hand (plastic-synth.). May wrap cakes of yarn in cloth to protect cakes during washing, bleaching, steaming, and drying operations or to partially dry cakes after washing [CAKE WRAPPER (plastic-synth.)]. May perform duties of DRIER OPERATOR (plastic-synth.) III in plants where washing, bleaching, and drying are combined into single operation. May be designated according to article washed and bleached as Bobbin Washer (plastic-synth.); Cake Washer (plastic-synth.); Skein Washer (plastic-synth.); Staple Fiber Washer (plastic-synth.). May tend equipment that processes yarn in single operation and be designated Desulfurizer, Machine (plastic-synth.). (references) |
| Removes soil from garments, using either of following methods: (1) Examines garment to detect lint, loose threads, and soiled areas. Brushes lint and loose threads from garment. Sponges soiled areas with sponge or cloth saturated with cleaning fluid or soap and water. Removes excess fluid or soap from garment, using damp cloth. Spreads garment on bench or table to dry. (2) Examines garment for soiled area and places garment on buck (padded table) of machine. Depresses pedal to force steam through buck and hose and guides nozzle of hose over soiled area. Releases pedal to stop steam and depresses pedal to circulate hot air through buck and hose to dry garment and prevent formation of cleaning rings. May clean and dry soiled garments, using spray gun. May trim excess material from seams and frayed edges of garment, using scissors. May hang garments on hangers. May attach tags and labels to garments. (references) | |
| Immerses watch parts in series of cleaning and rinsing solutions to wash parts: Empties parts onto wire screen subsequent to washing and rinsing, and adds sawdust. Shakes screen causing sawdust to absorb moisture from parts and to drop parts through screen. Separates parts according to size, or places parts in box, for transfer to next operation. May dry parts, using electric lamp, centrifugal drier, or tumbling barrel. May weigh parts on balance scale. May mix cleaning solutions. May dip polishing blocks in caustic and soap solutions to remove shellac or vaseline and be designated Block Cleaner (clock & watch). May clean mainspring barrel assemblies, using buff stick dipped in naphtha and be designated Mainspring-Barrel-Assembly Cleaner (clock & watch). (references) | |
| Performs any combination of following duties to clean finished eyeglasses, dye plastic eyeglass lenses, and electroplate metal frames: Washes, rinses, dries, and buffs eyeglasses, using cleaning solution, cloth, and buffing wheel. Mixes trays of dye according to formula and places trays on heating plate to maintain specified temperature. Mounts plastic lenses in holder and immerses lenses in dye for specified period. Compares lens with sample to verify color and immerses lens in dye to correct color as necessary. Immerses metal frames in plating solution for specified period to electroplate frames. (references) | |
| Washes metal, glass, rubber, or plastic objects: Sprays objects with sprayer nozzle or immerses objects in washing and rinsing solutions to remove debris, manually or using baskets or conveyor. Dries objects, using cloth, airhose, or drying oven. May manually dislodge debris from objects, using brush or hand held power scrubber. May fill vats with water to specified level. May pour specified quantity of soap or chemicals into water or other solutions. May be designated according to object washed as Brush Washer (textile); Tub Washer (textile); Ware Washer (pottery & porc.). (references) | |
| Washes and removes starch deposits from starch tables by flushing table with stream of water: Directs water hose over starch table to wash film of gluten from starch deposits. Plugs line to gluten tank at end of table and raises tailboard to allow starch deposit to flow to flushing tank. Turns valve to admit strong stream of water into starch table that loosens and flushes starch deposits into flushing tank. (references) | |
| Washes excess glue from clamped wooden pencil slats, using water and sponge. Turns valve to start flow of water onto slats and rubs all sides of clamped slats with sponge. Places washed slats in handcart and pushes loaded cart to kiln for further processing. (references) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
Synonyms: WasherSynonyms: automatic washer (n), washing machine (n). (additional references) |
Crosswords: Washer |
| English words defined with "washer": automatic washer ♦ carry ♦ dish washer ♦ Gas washer ♦ instal, install ♦ lock washer, lockring ♦ put in ♦ reinstall ♦ Sea gaskets, set up ♦ window washer. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "washer": air washer ♦ barrel washer, Belknap chloride washer process, Belleville spring washer, Belleville washer, BROWN-STOCK WASHER ♦ CHIP WASHER ♦ equipment washer ♦ FEATHER WASHER, FILTER WASHER AND PRESSER, filter-pulp washer ♦ launder washer ♦ ore washer ♦ safety washer, safety washer with internal sprag, spring washer ♦ tab washer, tab washer with internal tongue, thrust washer, tongued washer, tongued washer with external tongue, tongued washer with internal tongue, trough washer ♦ upward-current washer ♦ Washer Woman. (references) |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | It's a washer! It's a dryer! (AlfTales; writing credit: Bradley Kesden; Mitchell Kriegman) That makes me Chief Cook and Bottle Washer in a one-man Bird Watcher's Society! (The Giant Claw; writing credit: Paul Gangelin; Samuel Newman) | |
Tongue Twisters | Who washed Washington's white woolen underwear when Washington's washer woman went West? (references; author: unknown) | |
Movie/TV Titles | The Paneless Window Washer (1937) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
Books |
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High Tech |
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Consumer Goods |
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | Glassware washer (Woodman machine).Credit: CDC. |  | Employee adjusting controls of a Woodman Machine (glassware washer) at CDC.Credit: CDC. |
 | Accumulator with dredging block hooked; safety hook; brass washer. In: "Report on the Construction and Work in 1880 of United States Fish Commission Steamer FISH-HAWK", by Lieutenant Zera Luther Tanner, U. S. N. United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries. Part IX. Report of the Commissioner for 1881. Plate VIII p. 53.Credit: Sailing for Science - the NOAA Fleet Then and Now. |  | Oranges 11, washing oranges in "Stamm washer" in modern citrus fruit packing house, Lamanda Park, Calif. / photographed, copyrighted and sold by Philip Brigandi.Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Company houses, coal mining section, with coal washer in center, Purseglove, Scotts Run, West Virginia.Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Subcontracting. Bogie-wheel assembly. Spot facing for a bolt and lock washer that holds a bogie-wheel rubbing plate in place on a lever. The work is being done in the machine shop of a small Eastern subcontractor. Painesville Machine Company.Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Washer for sale. Sears Roebuck store at Syracuse, New York.Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Electric Institute of Washington, Potomac Electric Power Co. Building. Washer demonstration.Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Maytag Washing Machine Company. Pouring a one-piece aluminum washer.Credit: Library of Congress. |  | The magic washer, manufactured by Geo. Dee, Dixon, Illinois. The Chinese must go.Credit: Library of Congress. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| "Washer" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 99.39% of the time. "Washer" is used about 163 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 99.39% | 162 | 24,580 |
| Noun (proper) | 0.61% | 1 | 339,140 |
| Total | 100.00% | 163 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| The following table summarizes the usage of "washer" based on a population census conducted in the United States. Ranks and frequencies are based on all names reported and classified. |
| Name | Usage/Gender | Usage per 100 million Persons | Rank in USA |
| Washer | Last name | 1,000 | 9,613 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits. | |||
Expressions using "washer": automatic washer ♦ Belleville spring washer ♦ Belleville washer ♦ dish washer ♦ Gas washer ♦ lock washer ♦ nut washer ♦ safety washer ♦ safety washer with internal sprag ♦ screen washer ♦ tab washer ♦ tab washer with internal tongue ♦ tongued washer ♦ tongued washer with external tongue ♦ tongued washer with internal tongue ♦ washer woman ♦ window washer ♦ windscreen washer ♦ windshield washer. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "washer": washer-drier, washer-driers, Washer-dryer, washer-up, washer-upper, washer-woman. | |
Ending with "washer": bottle-washer, car-washer, dish-washer, gully-washer, wall-washer, white-washer. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day | Expression | Frequency per Day |
pressure washer | 5,269 | kenmore washer | 206 |
window washer | 3,716 | free internet washer | 189 |
power washer | 1,958 | high pressure washer | 167 |
washer | 1,824 | husky pressure washer | 164 |
internet washer | 915 | free window washer | 163 |
washer dryer | 759 | web washer | 153 |
karcher pressure washer | 440 | electric power washer | 146 |
washer and dryers | 410 | pressure washer part | 142 |
washer game | 409 | generac pressure washer | 139 |
electric pressure washer | 385 | clothes washer | 139 |
mail washer | 332 | husky power washer | 136 |
part washer | 318 | pressure washer accessory | 133 |
maytag washer | 280 | karcher power washer | 127 |
whirlpool washer | 269 | pressure washer review | 124 |
honda pressure washer | 256 | delta pressure washer | 119 |
washer dryer combo | 238 | pressure washer pump | 118 |
internet washer pro | 238 | portable washer | 117 |
stackable washer dryer | 230 | washer part | 107 |
front load washer | 217 | combination washer dryer | 105 |
excell pressure washer | 213 | lg washer | 93 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Translations for "washer"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albanian | rondele, makinë larëse (washing machine), larës (cleansing, detergent, detersive, washing), guarnicion. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arabic | مغسلة (sink, washbasin), غسالة آلية (washing machine), الفلكة. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bulgarian | шайба (clout, disc, disk, puck, rigger, sheave, shim, stud, stuffing), мияч на съдове, пръстен (circle, circlet, earthen, hoop, rim, ring, terrene), промивачка, перална машина (washing machine). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chinese | 洗衣机, 洗衣機 (washing machine). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Czech | tìsnìní (gasket, seal, stuffing), promývaèka, pradlena (laundress, washerwoman), pradlák, praèka (washing machine), podložka (coaster, ink-lines, pad, underlay). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Danish | wafer (nut washer, slice, wafer), vaske-og blegehollænder (potcher), skive (chip, dial, dial device, die, disc, disk, flake, nut washer, record, sheave, slice, tray, wafer). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dutch | wafer (nut washer, slice, wafer), wafel (nut washer, slice, wafer, waffle), schifj (nut washer, slice, wafer), plakje (nut washer, slice, wafer), plak (length, nut washer, plate, sheet, slab, slice, tablet, wafer), moerplaatje (nut washer, slice, wafer), bleek-en washollander (potcher). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Farsi | واشر, رختشوی , شستشوکننده . (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Finnish | puolijohdekiekko (nut washer, slice, wafer), pesu-ja valkaisuhollanteri (potcher). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
French | rondelle (nut washer, wafer). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
German | Unterlegscheibe (nut washer, shim, slice, wafer), Scheibe (bit-slice, concave disc, dial, disc, disk, glass, layer, nut washer, pane, piece, plate, plough disc, plug, puck, pulley, rasher, scattering disk, segment, sheave, sheet, slab, slice, spinner, target, wafer, wheel, window), Dichtungsring (gasket, gasket for joints, joint ring, packing ring, seal ring, sealing ring), Wäscher (launderer, panner, washers). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Greek | ροδέλα (grommet). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hebrew | מכו ת כביס" (washing machine), מכבס (washing machine). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hungarian | mosódob, mosó (washable). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Indonesian | pembasuh (cleaning material). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Italian | wafer (nut washer, slice, wafer), rondella, olandese lavatrice (potcher), lavatrice (washing machine), fetta di silicio (nut washer, slice, wafer), fetta (cut, disc, disk, fillet, nut washer, pane, piece, record, slice, steak, wafer, window). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Kanji | 座金 , ワープロ馬鹿 (business shirt, dead silence after a joke falls flat, food wagon service, multi-national enterprise, news program, shirt, someone whose kanji-writing ability has suffered due to overreliance on the kana->kanji conversion systems used to input Japanese text on a computer, table-side service, talk and varietyshow, vaccine, vagina, vaseline, wacoal, Wagner, wagon, wagon sale, Waikiki, warlock, Washington, Washington Post, WASP, watt, wax, wide, wide-angle lens, wide-band, wife, wild, wild pitch, windshield wipers, windup, wine, wine color, wine glass, wine list, wine red, winecooler, winery, wipe, wipe in, wipe out, wire, wire glass, wired, wireless, wireless mike, wire-wrapping, wise, wivern, working holiday, workshop, World, world class, World Cup, world enterprise, World Games, World Series, worm, wow, wow and flutter, Wyoming, wyvern), 洗浄器 (syringe), ウォール街 (surveillance, Ukraine, ukulele, umlaut, vodka, Vostok, Wall Street, walnut, wand, wanted, washable, wash-and-wear, watch, watchdog, watching, watchman, won, wood, woodcraft, woodpecker, Worcestersauce). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Katakana | ワッシャー , ざがね, せ"じょうき (syringe), ウォッシャー . (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Korean | 세탁기. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Manx | sealan, oonleyder (abluter), greie niaghyn (washing machine). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pig Latin | asherway pila lavadora branqueadora (potcher), pila lavadora (potcher), máquina de lavar (cleaner, washing machine), lamela (lameness, micro-glass, microscopic glass, nut washer, slice, wafer), bolacha (biscuit, bobbin, cracker, nut washer, slice, snap, soda cracker, wafer), arruela (bark blazer, race, risser, scratcher, scribe), anilha (bush, grommet, seal grommet, socket). (various references) maşinã de spãlat vasele (dish washer). (various references) стиральная машина (washing machine, washing-machine), скруббер (scrubber), шайба (hockey puck, puck, rove, shim, spacer), мойщик, промыватель. (various references) perač, mašina za pranje veša (washing machine), gumica za česmu. (various references) lavadora (potcher, washing, washing machine). (various references) bricka (badge, check, chip, counter, dice, die, disc, disk, nut washer, pawn, salver, slice, spacer, tablemat, tile, tray, wafer, waiter). (various references) yıkayıcı, yıkama makinesi, rondela, pul (flake, lamella, lamina, rove, scale, scutcheon, sequin, Spangle, squama, stamp, tinsel, trichome), çamaşır makinesi (washing machine). (various references) шайба (disc, disk, puck, rubber, shim), мийка, мийна машина (washing machine), мийник, промивач, пральна машина (washing machine). (various references) người giặt. (various references) golchydd, golchwr. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | armilla, armillam, armillas. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "washer": washerman, washermen, washers, washerwoman, washerwomen. (additional references) | |
Words ending with "washer": brainwasher, dishwasher, swasher, whitewasher. (additional references) | |
Words containing "washer": brainwashers, dishwashers, swashers, whitewashers. (additional references) | |
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"Washer" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Gwaihir, jasher, tasher, wachet, wachter, Walser, Wascher, washag, washte, wasser, wather, Weksler, whasher, wilsher, wisha, woshe. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| Words rhyming with "washer" (pronounced 'Wash"er'): Abaser, Abater, Abider, Abjurer, Abridger, Absconder, Absenter, Absolver, Absorber, Abstainer, Abstracter, Abuser, Acceder, Accepter, Acclaimer, Accorder, Accruer, Accuser, Achiever, Acquirer, Adherer, Adjudger, Adjurer, Adjuster, Admirer, Adopter, Adorer, Adorner, Advertiser, Adviser, Advoyer, Affecter, Affirmer, Afflicter, Affrayer, Affreighter, Affrighter, Affronter, Aflicker, Agreer, Aider, Aimer, Airer, Aliner, Allayer, Alleger, Allower, Allurer, Altogether, Amasser. (additional references) |
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
Direct Anagrams: hawser, rewash. | |
| Words within the letters "a-e-h-r-s-w" | |
-1 letter: hares, hawse, hears, resaw, rheas, sawer, sewar, share, shear, shrew, sware, swear, wares, wears. | |
-2 letters: ares, arse, awes, ears, eras, haes, hare, haws, hear, hers, hews, rase, rash, raws, resh, rhea, sear, sera, shaw, shea, shew, waes, ware, wars, wash, wear. | |
-3 letters: are, ars, ash, awe, ear, era, ers, hae, has, haw, her. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-e-h-r-s-w" | |
+1 letter: chawers, hawkers, hawsers, prewash, swasher, swather, thawers, washers, washier, wearish, whalers, wharves, whereas, wreaths. | |
+2 letters: dishware, haywires, rawhides, rewashed, rewashes, sawhorse, shadower, swanherd, swashers, swathers, warheads, warhorse, watchers, waterish, weathers, whackers, whappers, wreathes. | |
+3 letters: anywheres, carwashes, dishwares, dishwater, drawshave, hallowers, hardwares, hardwires, harrowers, headwords, headworks, hereaways, homewards, narwhales, plowshare, prewashed, prewashes, rewashing, sawhorses, seaworthy, shadowers, shadowier, shallower, shareware, shewbread, shoreward, shortwave, showbread, swanherds, swarthier, thwackers, thwarters, warehouse, warhorses, washerman, washermen, watershed, wharfages, wheatears, whereases, wirehairs, wrathiest. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
Hexadecimal (or equivalents, 770AD-1900s) (references)57 61 73 68 65 72 |
| Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519; backwards) (references)
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| American Sign Language (origins from 1620-1817 in Italy and, especially, France) (references)
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| Semaphore (1791, in France) (references)
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| Braille (1829, in France) (references)
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Morse Code (1836) (references).--. .- ... .... . .-. |
| Dancing Men (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1903) (references)
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Binary Code (1918-1938, probably earlier) (references)01010111 01100001 01110011 01101000 01100101 01110010 |
HTML Code (1990) (references)W a s h e r |
ISO 10646 (1991-1993) (references)0057 0061 0073 0068 0065 0072 |
| British Sign Language (Fingerspelling, BSL; 1992, British Deaf Association Dictionary of British Sign Language) (references)
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Encryption (beginner's substitution cypher): (references)576785747184 |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Images: Slideshow 7. Images: Photo Album 8. Usage Frequency | 9. Names: Frequency 10. Expressions 11. Expressions: Internet 12. Translations: Modern | 13. Translations: Ancient 14. Derivations 15. Rhymes 16. Anagrams | 17. Orthography 18. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
