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

For this reason, vinegar is often used as an all-natural cleaning product to brighten laundry, sanitize bathtubs and showers, deodorize trash cans, and so much more. — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 31 July 2026

Good candidates include the garage, laundry room and basement. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson july 31, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026

Remove laundry from the washer quickly to avoid odors and stubborn wrinkles. — Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 30 July 2026

Eldercare calls collide with a sick-child pickup, dinner, laundry, bills, homework, and the quiet work of getting everyone ready to do it again tomorrow. — Frank Diana, Time, 30 July 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