laundry
B1Neutral to Informal (everyday contexts)
Definition
Meaning
The action of washing clothes and linens, or the clothes/linens themselves that need washing or have been washed.
1. A room or building where commercial washing is done. 2. The business of washing clothes, especially for other people. 3. (Figurative) The process of making something clean or respectable, especially in terms of money or reputation.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Refers to the process, the location, and the items. The core semantic field connects cleaning, clothing, and household chores.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In British English, 'washing' is more common for the items/process ('do the washing'), while 'laundry' refers more to the room or the commercial service. In American English, 'laundry' is the default term for all meanings. 'Launderette' (UK) vs. 'Laundromat' (US).
Connotations
Similar in both. Has connotations of domestic chore, routine, and cleanliness.
Frequency
Higher frequency in American English as the primary term. In British English, 'washing' is more frequent for the items/act.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
do + (the) + laundryput + laundry + in the machinefold + the laundryhave + laundry + to doVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “air one's dirty laundry (in public)”
- “laundry list (a long list of items)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to commercial laundry services, dry cleaning chains.
Academic
Rare, except in sociological studies of domestic labour or industrial history.
Everyday
Ubiquitous in domestic contexts for the chore and the items.
Technical
In hospitality (hotel laundry), textiles, or machinery (industrial laundry equipment).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Not applicable as a verb. The related verb is 'to launder'.
American English
- Not applicable as a verb. The related verb is 'to launder'.
adverb
British English
- Not applicable as an adverb.
American English
- Not applicable as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- The laundry room is downstairs.
- She's doing her laundry day.
American English
- Put it in the laundry basket.
- We need more laundry detergent.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I do the laundry every Saturday.
- The laundry is in the basket.
- Could you put the laundry in the machine before you leave?
- The hotel offers a same-day laundry service.
- Sorting the laundry into lights and darks helps prevent colours from running.
- He runs a successful commercial laundry business.
- The scandal involved a complex scheme to launder money through offshore accounts.
- Politicians are often reluctant to air their party's dirty laundry in public.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a LAUNDRESS in a YARD, hanging clothes to dry. LAUNDR + Y.
Conceptual Metaphor
CLEANLINESS IS MORAL PURITY (e.g., 'money laundering', 'air dirty laundry').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'прачечная' (only the place/business). English 'laundry' can also mean the dirty/clean items themselves ('I have a load of laundry').
- Do not use 'laundry' for a single item of clothing. It is an uncountable noun for a collection of items.
Common Mistakes
- *'a laundry' to mean a single item of clothing (incorrect).
- Using plural '*laundries' for multiple loads (non-standard).
- Confusing 'laundry' (process/items) with 'washing machine' (the appliance).
Practice
Quiz
What does the idiom 'a laundry list of complaints' mean?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily uncountable when referring to the items or process ('I have laundry to do'). It is countable when referring to a place or business ('There are three laundries on this street').
In British English, 'washing' is more common for the items/act at home. 'Laundry' often implies the room, the commercial service, or is used in fixed phrases. In American English, 'laundry' is used for all meanings.
The related verb is 'to launder'. It means to wash and iron clothes/linen, or (figuratively) to process illegally obtained money to make it appear legitimate.
No. 'Laundry' is a mass noun for a collection of items to be washed. You would say 'a piece/item of laundry' (though this is rare), or more naturally, 'an item of clothing' or 'a shirt'.
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