washboard

noun wash·board \ ˈwȯsh-ˌbȯrd , ˈwäsh- \

|Updated on: 17 Aug 2018

Definition of washboard

1 : a broad thin plank along a gunwale or on the sill of a lower deck port to keep out the sea

2 : baseboard

3 a : a corrugated rectangular surface that is used for scrubbing clothes or as a percussion instrument

b : a road or pavement so worn by traffic as to be corrugated transversely

c : an abdominal area characterized by prominent and well-defined musculature —usually used attributively

a bodybuilder with washboard abs

a washboard stomach

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See washboard defined for kids

Recent Examples of washboard from the Web

The actors double as the band, playing piano, violin, melodica, a small trap drum, cymbals, washboard, trombone and a slew of kazoos and ukuleles.

— christopher arnott, courant.com, "A Coarse, Cacophonous, Compelling 'Cabaret' In New Haven," 26 June 2018
The roads in the monument range from smooth laterite to choppy dirt washboard, and even some passages of rubble and sand.

— aaron gulley, Outside Online, "Testing the All New Trek Checkpoint," 28 Mar. 2018
Woody Mountain Road is washboard-rough but passable by sedan.

— mare czinar, azcentral, "Flagstaff hike: Rogers Trail hike is a lovely walk in the woods," 5 July 2018
Sure enough, closer to the canyon the road turned to washboard.

— alli harvey, Anchorage Daily News, "Crazy ideas seem sane when they let you sleep under the stars," 10 May 2018
The first gig had Palazzo on piano, Bougerol singing and playing washboard, and a tap dancer.

— joe klopus, kansascity, "Jazz Town: Versatile Hot Sardines pack their shows with pure joy | The Kansas City Star," 4 Mar. 2018
An old washboard, a vintage wooden ironing board (that supports the work), old hinges and more are mixed with images of people -- some identifiable, others not.

— thom duffy, Billboard, "John Mellencamp's Art Exhibit 'Life, Death, Love and Freedom' Opens in New York," 28 Apr. 2018
Promises aren’t going to be enough for Californians tired of having their teeth rattled by trips over washboard roads or finding their cars battered by ever-deepening potholes.

— john wildermuth, San Francisco Chronicle, "How to fix California’s roads, bridges, dams: Candidates for governor share views," 30 Apr. 2018
There will also be tours of the Columbus Washboard Company, the last remaining washboard company in the United States.

— susan glaser, cleveland.com, "Urban Air festival brings a mile-long stretch of Airstreams to the streets of Logan, Ohio (photos): Living On," 31 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'washboard.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of washboard

1742

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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WASHBOARD Defined for English Language Learners

washboard

noun

Definition of washboard for English Language Learners

: a board with ridges on its surface that was used in the past for washing clothes by rubbing wet clothes against it
: a group of strong and well-shaped muscles that can be seen on a person's stomach