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

Find it on Amazon The Laundry Turtle That Speeds Things Up Shared laundry? —Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2024

Skip the Chlorine Bleach Chlorine bleach is a powerful disinfectant that has also traditionally been used in laundry to brighten whites. —Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Oct. 2024

How to Clean Windows With Soap and Vinegar Adding Vinegar To Your Load Of Laundry Using white vinegar in your laundry helps neutralize odors, remove mildew, stains, and mold, and acts as a natural fabric softener. —Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 21 Oct. 2024

Laundry symbols and meaning Don't let the mystery laundry symbols on your clothes stop you from tackling that pile of laundry! —Cody Godwin, USA TODAY, 10 Oct. 2024

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