Standard Lemma guide

washable

adj · noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • CMU ARPABET: W AA1 SH AH0 B AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Capable of being washed without being damaged; especially by a specified method, for example machine-washable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Something that can be washed without being damaged.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective

Meaning 3

capable of being washed without injury

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • washable woolens
  • acrylic blankets are both warm and washable

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: nonwashable

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *wed- Proto-Indo-European *-sḱéti Proto-Indo-European *wodsḱéti Proto-Germanic *waskaną Proto-West Germanic *waskan Old English wascan Middle English wasshen English wash Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr Proto-Indo-European *-dhlom Proto-Indo-European *-dhlis Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English washable From wash + -able.

Across languages

Translations

28 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: قَابِل غَسِيل (qābil ḡasīl) — capable of being washed without being damaged
  • Arabic: قَابِلَة غَسِيلَة — capable of being washed without being damaged
  • Bulgarian: който може да се пере (kojto može da se pere) — capable of being washed without being damaged
  • Catalan: rentable — capable of being washed without being damaged
  • Czech: omyvatelný — capable of being washed without being damaged
  • Danish: vaskbar — capable of being washed without being damaged
  • Danish: vaskeægte — capable of being washed without being damaged
  • Finnish: pestävä — capable of being washed without being damaged
  • French: lavable — capable of being washed without being damaged
  • Galician: lavable — capable of being washed without being damaged
  • Galician: lavábel — capable of being washed without being damaged
  • German: waschbar — capable of being washed without being damaged
  • German: waschecht — capable of being washed without being damaged
  • Hungarian: mosható — capable of being washed without being damaged
  • Irish: in-nite — capable of being washed without being damaged
  • Japanese: 洗濯できる (sentaku dekiru) — capable of being washed without being damaged
  • Manx: so-nieet — capable of being washed without being damaged
  • Manx: yn-nieet — capable of being washed without being damaged
  • Manx: yn-oonlit — capable of being washed without being damaged
  • Norwegian Bokmål: vaskbar — capable of being washed without being damaged
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: vaskbar — capable of being washed without being damaged
  • Persian: شستنی — capable of being washed without being damaged
  • Persian: شست پذیر — capable of being washed without being damaged
  • Polish: zmywalny — capable of being washed without being damaged
  • Portuguese: lavável — capable of being washed without being damaged
  • Spanish: lavable — capable of being washed without being damaged
  • Swedish: tvättbar — capable of being washed without being damaged
  • Swedish: tvättäkta — capable of being washed without being damaged