Standard Lemma guide

washboard

noun · verb · 11 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: W AA1 SH B AO2 R D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A board with a corrugated surface against which laundry may be rubbed.

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

Such a board used as a simple percussion instrument.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A board fastened along a ship's gunwale to prevent splashing; a splashboard.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: nautical, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A stretch of ripples or bumps on a dirt or gravel road caused by interaction between traffic and road surface.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: road, transport

Examples

  • washboard road

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Ellipsis of washboard abs.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, colloquial, ellipsis

Topics: bodybuilding, hobbies, lifestyle, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

Baseboard; skirting board.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dated

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To produce a rippled texture on a surface.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To play a washboard.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To move up and down or back and forth across the surface of a hive, possibly to lay down a layer of propolis and wax.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: bees

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

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

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: splashboard

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: protective covering, protective cover, protection

11

noun

Meaning 11

device consisting of a corrugated surface to scrub clothes on

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: device

History

Etymology

From wash + board.

Across languages

Translations

46 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Aleut: duskax̂ — board to do laundry
  • Basque: latsazur — board to do laundry
  • Bulgarian: дъска за пране (dǎska za prane) — board to do laundry
  • Chinese Mandarin: 洗衣板 (xǐyībǎn) — board to do laundry
  • Czech: valcha — board to do laundry
  • Danish: vaskebræt — board to do laundry
  • Dutch: wasbord — board to do laundry
  • Esperanto: lavtabulo — board to do laundry
  • Finnish: pyykkilauta — board to do laundry
  • French: planche à laver — board to do laundry
  • Galician: lavadoiro — board to do laundry
  • German: Waschbrett — board to do laundry
  • Hebrew: קרש כביסה — board to do laundry
  • Italian: asse per lavare — board to do laundry
  • Italian: asse per il bucato — board to do laundry
  • Japanese: 洗濯板 (sentakuita) — board to do laundry
  • Korean: 빨래판 (ppallaepan) — board to do laundry
  • Macedonian: перална даска (peralna daska) — board to do laundry
  • Maranao: batalan — board to do laundry
  • Norwegian Bokmål: vaskebrett — board to do laundry
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: vaskebrett — board to do laundry
  • Plautdietsch: Riew — board to do laundry
  • Polish: tara — board to do laundry
  • Portuguese: tanquinho — board to do laundry
  • Russian: стира́льная доска́ (stirálʹnaja doská) — board to do laundry
  • Spanish: lavadero — board to do laundry
  • Swedish: tvättbräda — board to do laundry
  • Turkish: çamaşır tahtası — board to do laundry
  • Ukrainian: пральна дошка (pralʹna doška) — board to do laundry
  • Dutch: zetbord — a board on the gunwale of a boat to stop splashing; a splash board
  • Finnish: roiskesuoja — a board on the gunwale of a boat to stop splashing; a splash board
  • Finnish: räve — a board on the gunwale of a boat to stop splashing; a splash board
  • Māori: pāiri — a board on the gunwale of a boat to stop splashing; a splash board
  • Māori: rauawa — a board on the gunwale of a boat to stop splashing; a splash board
  • Māori: parengaru — a board on the gunwale of a boat to stop splashing; a splash board
  • Māori: paretai — a board on the gunwale of a boat to stop splashing; a splash board
  • Finnish: pyykkilauta — percussion instrument
  • French: planche à laver — percussion instrument
  • German: Waschbrett — percussion instrument
  • Japanese: ウォッシュボード (wosshubōdo) — percussion instrument
  • Korean: 워시보드 (wosibodeu) — percussion instrument
  • Russian: стира́льная доска́ (stirálʹnaja doská) — percussion instrument
  • Swedish: tvättbräda — percussion instrument
  • German: Wellblech — stretch of ripples
  • Portuguese: costeleta — stretch of ripples
  • Spanish: serrucho — stretch of ripples
Real reading context

washboard in complete knowledge articles