Reading Theme:

Language:

Font Size:

📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Laundry: Definition, Usage & Common Mistakes (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：dirty clothes to wash (laundry)

laundry 🔊

/ˈlɔːndri/

The clothes and things like bedsheets that either need washing or have just been washed.

Laundry meaning illustrated by a pile of mixed clothes in a basket.

dirty clothes to wash 🔊

➕

/ˈdɜːrti kloʊðz tu wɑːʃ/

The specific term for clothes, bedding, towels, and similar fabric items that are dirty and need washing, or that have just been washed and are clean.

📁 Category：Objects & Materials 🔖 Level：初级

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'lavandaria' (things to be washed), via Old French 'lavanderie'.

💡 Mnemonic

**LAUNDRY**: The **AUN**t has a huge pile of clothes to **LAU**nder before the **DRY**er stops. Think of the 'aun' sound in 'aunt' dealing with laundry.

📖 Example

Every Sunday morning, I gather all the laundry from the baskets and start my washing routine. 🔊 Every Sunday morning, I gather all the laundry from the baskets and start my washing routine.

🔗 Collocations

do the laundry – The action of washing the dirty clothes.

sort the laundry – To separate clothes into piles by color or fabric type before washing.

laundry basket – A container used to hold dirty clothes.

🔄 Synonyms

washing (n.) – A very common synonym, especially in British English (e.g., do the washing).

wash (n.) – Can refer to a batch of clothes being washed.

clothes (n.) – A more general term for garments, which can imply laundry in context.

🚫 Antonyms

clean clothes (n.) – Clothes that are freshly washed or not dirty, the end result of doing laundry.

📖 Cultural Story

The word 'laundry' entered English around the 16th century from French. Historically, the task was labor-intensive, done in communal washhouses or by designated 'laundresses'. This history connects to the modern concept of laundromats and professional laundry services.

Meaning 2：place to wash clothes (laundry)

laundry 🔊

/ˈlɔːndri/

A shop or a self-service place with washing machines for cleaning clothes.

Laundry place scene showing a modern self-service laundromat interior.

place to wash clothes 🔊

➕

/pleɪs tu wɑːʃ kloʊðz/

A commercial establishment, typically a self-service room or a shop, that contains washing machines and dryers for public use or provides professional cleaning services.

📁 Category：Buildings & Places 🔖 Level：初级

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

Since my washing machine broke, I've been taking my sheets and towels to the laundry around the corner. 🔊 Since my washing machine broke, I've been taking my sheets and towels to the laundry around the corner.

🔗 Collocations

laundromat – The common US brand name for a self-service laundry, often used generically.

self-service laundry – A laundry where customers operate the machines themselves.

pick up the laundry – To collect clothes that have been cleaned by a professional laundry service.

🔄 Synonyms

laundromat (n.) – Specifically refers to a coin-operated self-service laundry.

washroom (n.) – A less common term, used regionally for a place with public washing machines.

dry cleaner (n.) – A related business that specializes in cleaning clothes with chemical solvents, not water.

🌱 Derivatives

launder (v.) – To wash and iron clothes, linens, etc. Also used metaphorically for money.

launderette (n.) – The British English term for a self-service laundry.