# washing

Pronunciation: US say "WAH-shing" /ˈwɑʃ.ɪŋ/; UK say "WO-shing" /ˈwɒʃ.ɪŋ/; AUS say "WAW-shing" /ˈwɔʃ.ɪŋ/

## Verb

1. Present participle and gerund of wash. — present participle and gerund of wash
   - Simple: Present participle and gerund of wash. Use this form for actions happening right now or for the activity itself.
   - _The crew was washing graffiti off the station wall before sunrise._
   - _Washing your hands often is one of the easiest ways to stay healthy._

## Noun

2. The act or process of cleaning something with water or another liquid.
   - Simple: The act of cleaning something with water and soap.
   - _After a thorough washing, the windows let in far more light._
   - _The label recommends a gentle washing in cold water for this fabric._
3. Clothing, bed linen, or soft furnishings that have been washed, are being washed, or are waiting to be washed; laundry. *(Australia, British, New Zealand)*
   - Simple: Clothes, sheets, and other soft things that need to be washed or have just been washed.
   - _She pegged the washing out in the back garden to dry._
   - _He sorted the washing into lights and darks before starting the machine._
4. A thin covering or coat, such as a light layer of paint or metal over a surface.
   - Simple: A very thin layer of paint, metal, or another material spread over a surface.
   - _Years of handling wore away the washing of gold on the locket._
   - _The walls received only a pale washing of color, so the plaster shows through._
5. In finance, a sham trade in which one party buys and sells the same stock simultaneously in order to manipulate the market.
   - Simple: A trick where a person buys and sells the same stock at the same time so the market looks busy.
   - _Investigators traced the sudden spike in volume to washing carried out through two linked accounts._
   - _The exchange suspended the broker for washing intended to inflate the share price._
6. The residue that remains after an ore or similar material has been washed.
   - Simple: The leftover material after rock that contains metal has been washed.
   - _Assayers tested the washing for traces of tin the process had missed._
   - _The mill dumped its washings into a settling pond below the works._
7. The liquid that is poured over or through an ore in order to wash it.
   - Simple: The liquid used to wash rock that has metal in it.
   - _The washing drained from the trough into a settling tank._
   - _Fine particles of ore stayed suspended in the washing for hours._
8. A site where a precious metal, such as gold, is separated from gravel and lighter material using water.
   - Simple: A place where people use water to separate gold or another valuable metal from gravel.
   - _The washing at the bend of the creek proved the richest ground in the district._
   - _Prospectors abandoned the washing when the gravel stopped paying._
9. The coating of a ceramic piece with an infusible powder, which keeps it from sticking to its supports while the glaze is applied.
   - Simple: A layer of powder that keeps a clay piece from sticking to its supports while its shiny coating is baked on.
   - _Careful washing of each piece prevented the glaze from bonding it to the kiln furniture._
   - _Thanks to thorough washing, every piece lifted cleanly from its setter after firing._

## Origin

**Meanings 2–9** — From Middle English waschynge, from Old English *wæsċing, from Proto-West Germanic *waskingu, equivalent to "wash" plus "-ing". It is related to Dutch wassing and German Waschung.
**Meaning 1** — From Middle English waschyng, from Old English *wasċende, going back through Proto-West Germanic *waskandī to Proto-Germanic *waskandz, the present participle of *waskaną ("to wash"); equivalent to "wash" plus "-ing". It is related to Dutch wassend and German waschend.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/washing (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).