laundry

noun

laun·​dry ˈlȯn-drē How to pronounce laundry (audio)
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 In surveillance footage reviewed by authorities, Brower is seen walking up to Harrington while the victim was doing his laundry and briefly speaking with him before fatally stabbing him, WXXV 24 reports. Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag, 5 June 2024 Without this care, Gardner couldn’t bathe, prepare meals, do laundry or clean her home. Josh Kelety, Fortune Well, 24 May 2024 Gutierrez led protests demanding ASU pressure the laundry to improve working conditions and wages. Daniel Gonzalez, USA TODAY, 11 May 2024 The suites and staterooms all have verandas, a first for Oceania, which has also made a concerted effort to court solo travelers by offering new perks like lounge access, free laundry, and priority restaurant reservations without a singles supplement. Madison Flager, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 July 2023 See all Example Sentences for laundry 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'laundry.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of laundry was in 1577

Dictionary Entries Near laundry

Cite this Entry

“Laundry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/laundry. Accessed 13 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

laundry

noun
laun·​dry ˈlȯn-drē How to pronounce laundry (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on laundry

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