Dishwasher Definition, Uses & Examples

Meaning 1：dishwashing machine (Dishwasher)

Dishwasher 🔊

/ˈdɪʃˌwɑːʃər/

A machine that washes dishes automatically, making kitchen cleanup quick and easy.

Dishwasher machine with clean plates inside a modern kitchen

dishwashing machine 🔊

➕

/ˈdɪʃˌwɒʃɪŋ məˈʃiːn/

A household appliance that automatically cleans dishes, utensils, and cookware using water, detergent, and heat.

📁 Category：Technological Inventions 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Dish (plate) + washer (one that washes) — a device that automatically cleans dishes.

💡 Mnemonic

Picture a 'dish' and a 'washer' combined: a magical box that scrubs all your plates clean while you relax.

📖 Example

After the family dinner, we just put all the cups and plates into the dishwasher and it cleans them in an hour. 🔊 After the family dinner, we just put all the cups and plates into the dishwasher and it cleans them in an hour.

🔗 Collocations

load the dishwasher – put dirty dishes into the dishwasher

run the dishwasher – operate the dishwasher to clean dishes

empty the dishwasher – remove clean dishes from the dishwasher

🔄 Synonyms

dish-cleaning machine (n.) – a machine designed to wash dishes

automatic dishwasher (n.) – a self-operating dishwasher appliance

dishwashing appliance (n.) – an appliance used for washing dishes

🚫 Antonyms

hand-washing (n.) – the act of washing dishes manually by hand

🌱 Derivatives

dishwasher-safe (adj.) – able to be washed safely in a dishwasher

📖 Cultural Story

Invented by Josephine Cochrane in the late 19th century, the dishwasher brought automation to kitchen cleanup, saving countless hours of manual dishwashing.