WASHBOARD

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does washboard mean? 

• WASHBOARD (noun)
  The noun WASHBOARD has 2 senses:

1. device consisting of a corrugated surface to scrub clothes on

2. protective covering consisting of a broad plank along a gunwale to keep water from splashing over the side

  Familiarity information: WASHBOARD used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• WASHBOARD (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Device consisting of a corrugated surface to scrub clothes on

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("washboard" is a kind of...):

device (an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Protective covering consisting of a broad plank along a gunwale to keep water from splashing over the side

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

splashboard; washboard

Hypernyms ("washboard" is a kind of...):

protection; protective cover; protective covering (a covering that is intend to protect from damage or injury)

Holonyms ("washboard" is a part of...):

vessel; watercraft (a craft designed for water transportation)

 Context examples 

"Beats a washboard an' your knuckles, and, besides, it saves at least fifteen minutes in the week, an' fifteen minutes ain't to be sneezed at in this shebang."

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)