laundry

noun

laun·​dry ˈlȯn-drē 

ˈlän-

plural laundries

1

a

: a room for doing the family wash

b

: a commercial laundering establishment

2

: clothes or linens that have been or are to be laundered

Examples of laundry in a Sentence

There's a pile of dirty laundry in the laundry basket.

The patients' sheets are sent regularly to the hospital laundry.

Recent Examples on the Web

Rather than filling every square foot with washing machines, the pair intentionally carved out space for communal seating, work tables and customers who might linger long after their laundry was done. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2026

This pantry, in addition to offering generous space for kitchen supplies, is ready to accommodate a first-floor laundry. — James Alexander, Hartford Courant, 9 Aug. 2026

The day center was used for laundry and showers, as well as the main service building for many of the volunteers and clients on North College Street outside of uptown. — Zaire Breedlove august 7, Charlotte Observer, 7 Aug. 2026

But the young Cash found joy in music, and his mother took in laundry to pay for singing lessons. — Eleni N. Gage, Architectural Digest, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing laundry

• air one's dirty laundry
• dirty laundry
• do the/one's laundry
• laundry list
• load of laundry

Kids Definition

laundry

noun

laun·​dry ˈlȯn-drē 

ˈlän-

plural laundries

1

: clothes or linens that have been or are to be laundered

2

: a place where laundering is done

Etymology

from an obsolete word launder (noun) "one who washes clothes," derived from early French lavandier (or lavandiere) "a man (or woman) who washes clothes," from Latin lavandus "needing to be washed," from lavare "to wash" — related to lavatory, lavish, lotion