washboard

noun

wash·​board ˈwȯsh-ˌbȯrd 

ˈwäsh-

1

: a broad thin plank along a gunwale or on the sill of a lower deck port to keep out the sea

2

: baseboard

3

a

: a corrugated rectangular surface that is used for scrubbing clothes or as a percussion instrument

b

: a road or pavement so worn by traffic as to be corrugated transversely

c

: an abdominal area characterized by prominent and well-defined musculature

—usually used attributively

a bodybuilder with washboard abs

a washboard stomach

Examples of washboard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

What better place to find musicians than in the harmonious bayou where cicadas hum, frogs take the bass, and animatronic critters play handmade instruments like washboards and buckets? —Leslie D. Rose, Parents, 3 July 2024

Indeed, the set features collaborators from various musical genres — including Post Malone and Miley Cyrus — as well as instruments such as the accordion, washboards, harmonicas and even her own nails. —Anna Chan, Billboard, 29 Mar. 2024

But where some see character, others see a dirty track, as rutted as an old washboard, that grows less appealing with each flat tire and trip to the carwash. —Jayne Orenstein, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2024

Load in a small load of non-bulky clothing, add water and soap and then rub your clothes through the bag to create friction against the interior plastic washboard for at least 30 seconds. —Katherine Alex Beaven, Travel + Leisure, 27 Nov. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1742, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

washboard

noun

wash·​board ˈwȯsh-ˌbō(ə)rd 

ˈwäsh-,

-ˌbȯ(ə)rd

: a grooved board to scrub clothes on