1. (

• wash ,
• rinse ,

) clean with some chemical process ;

2. (

• wash ,
• lave

) cleanse (one's body) with soap and water ;

3. (

• wash ,
• launder

) cleanse with a cleaning agent, such as soap, and water; "Wash the towels, please!" ;

4. (

• wash ,

) move by or as if by water; "The swollen river washed away the footbridge" ;

5. (

• wash

) be capable of being washed; "Does this material wash?" ;

6. (

• wash ,

) admit to testing or proof; "This silly excuse won't wash in traffic court" ;

7. (

• wash ,

) separate dirt or gravel from (precious minerals) ;

8. (

• wash ,

) apply a thin coating of paint, metal, etc., to ;

9. (

• wash ,
• wash_out ,
• wash_off ,
• wash_away

) remove by the application of water or other liquid and soap or some other cleaning agent; "he washed the dirt from his coat"; "The nurse washed away the blood"; "Can you wash away the spots on the windows?"; "he managed to wash out the stains" ;

10. (

• wash ,

) form by erosion; "The river washed a ravine into the mountainside" ;

11. (

• moisten ,
• wash ,
• dampen ,

) make moist; "The dew moistened the meadows" ;

12. (

• lave ,
• lap ,
• wash ,

) wash or flow against; "the waves laved the shore" ;

13. (

• wash ,

) to cleanse (itself or another animal) by licking; "The cat washes several times a day" ;

1. (

• washed ,
• water-washed

) clean by virtue of having been washed in water ;

2. (

• washed

) wet as from washing; sometimes used in combination; "rain-washed" ;