washer

== English == === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈwɒʃə(ɹ)/ (General American, Canada) IPA(key): /ˈwɑʃɚ/ Rhymes: -ɒʃə(ɹ) === Etymology 1 === From Middle English wasshere, wassher, equivalent to wash +‎ -er. Cognate with Dutch wasser, German Wäscher. ==== Noun ==== washer (plural washers) Something that washes; especially an appliance such as a washing machine or dishwasher. A person who washes (especially clothes) for a living; a washerman or washerwoman. Hypernym: cleaner A person who washes their hands compulsively, as a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder. A face cloth. ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 2 === Unclear. First recorded in the 14th century. ==== Noun ==== washer (plural washers) A flat piece of material, often of metal and often an annulus, placed beneath a nut or at some joint, to distribute pressure, alleviate friction, provide directionally differentiated friction (e.g. making the nut turn counter-clockwise only with difficulty), or prevent leakage. ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Verb ==== washer (third-person singular simple present washers, present participle washering, simple past and past participle washered) (transitive) To fit (a mechanical device) with a washer. === Anagrams === hawser, rewash, whares