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

Brian O’Connor, Virginia’s head coach, hired Sword and initially put him on the usual tasks: laundry and field prep. —Keith O'Brien, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2025

At this price, a buyer might expect in-unit laundry or a bigger kitchen. —Heather Senison, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025

Passengers will have the chance to enjoy the ship's spacious Sapphire Veranda Suite, which comes with perks like a private veranda, butler service, and complimentary laundry. —Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 18 Feb. 2025

What to Decant in the Laundry Room and Utility Closet Consider decanting the following laundry and household supplies to streamline these spaces. —Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Feb. 2025

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