laundry

The word “laundry” means clothes and linens that need washing, are being washed, or have just been washed. In plain terms, either dirty clothes waiting to be washed, or the place where washing happens.

“Laundry” is pronounced LAWN-dree (/ˈlɔːn.dɹi/ in IPA).

Here is “laundry” used in a sentence: “I still have a mountain of laundry to fold.”

Words with a similar meaning to “laundry” include washing, lavatory, laundromat, washateria and laundrette.

“Laundry” is a noun.

The word “laundry” comes from Latin. From Old French lavanderie, from Latin lavandaria, related to launder.

“Laundry” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Laundry” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: clothes and linens that need washing, are being washed, or have just been washed.

Laundry refers to clothes and linens that need washing, are being washed, or have just been washed, and it can also mean the place or business where washing is done. In British English, 'the washing' is a common everyday alternative for the clothes themselves, while 'laundry' is the usual term in American English. Both are correct; the difference is mainly regional.

Laundry is an uncountable noun when it refers to clothes, so it takes a singular verb: 'the laundry is folded,' not 'the laundry are folded.' The plural form 'laundries' is only used for the business sense, meaning several places where clothes are washed.

The standard collocation in English is 'do the laundry' or 'do a load of laundry.' 'Make the laundry' is a common learner error, often carried over from languages that use 'make' for household chores.

A laundry is any place or business where clothes are washed, including services that wash, dry, and fold clothes for customers. A laundromat (called a launderette in Britain) is specifically a self-service laundry where customers operate coin- or card-operated machines themselves.