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
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
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
Then a washboard on which a woman had been scrubbing laundry after rubbing it abundantly with a ball of soap.
—Lawrence Jackson, Harper's Magazine, 10 July 2023
See all Example Sentences for washboard 
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
Then a washboard on which a woman had been scrubbing laundry after rubbing it abundantly with a ball of soap.
—Lawrence Jackson, Harper's Magazine, 10 July 2023
See all Example Sentences for washboard
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'washboard.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near washboard
Cite this Entry
“Washboard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/washboard. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
washboard
noun
wash·board
ˈwȯsh-ˌbō(ə)rd
ˈwäsh-,
-ˌbȯ(ə)rd
: a grooved board to scrub clothes on
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