Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

2 VERB If you wash or if you wash part of your body, especially your hands and face, you clean part of your body using soap and water. □ [V ] They looked as if they hadn't washed in days. □ [V n] She washed her face with cold water. □ [get V -ed] You are going to have your dinner, get washed, and go to bed. ● N‑COUNT Wash is also a noun. □  She had a wash and changed her clothes.

3 VERB If a sea or river washes somewhere, it flows there gently. You can also say that something carried by a sea or river washes or is washed somewhere. □ [V prep/adv] The sea washed against the shore. □ [V n with adv] The force of the water washed him back into the cave. [Also V n prep]

4 N‑SING The wash of a boat is the wave that it causes on either side as it moves through the water. □ [+ from ] …the wash from large ships.

5 VERB If a feeling washes over you, you suddenly feel it very strongly and cannot control it. [WRITTEN ] □ [V + over ] A wave of self-consciousness can wash over her when someone new enters the room.

6 VERB If you say that an excuse or idea will not wash , you mean that people will not accept or believe it. [INFORMAL ] □ [V ] He said her policies didn't work and the excuses didn't wash. □ [V + with ] If they believe that solution would wash with the Haitian people, they are making a dramatic error.

7 → see also washing

8 PHRASE If you say that something such as an item of clothing is in the wash , you mean that it is being washed, is waiting to be washed, or has just been washed and should therefore not be worn or used. [INFORMAL ] □  Your jeans are in the wash.

9to wash your dirty linen in public → see dirty

10to wash your hands of something → see hand ➊

▸  wash away PHRASAL VERB If rain or floods wash away something, they destroy it and carry it away. □ [V P n] Flood waters washed away one of the main bridges in Pusan. [Also V n P ]

▸  wash down

1 PHRASAL VERB If you wash something, especially food, down with a drink, you drink the drink after eating the food, especially to make the food easier to swallow or digest. □ [V n P ] He took two aspirin immediately and washed them down with three cups of water. [Also V P n]

2 PHRASAL VERB If you wash down an object, you wash it all, from top to bottom. □ [V P n] The prisoner started to wash down the walls of his cell. [Also V n P ]

▸  wash out

1 PHRASAL VERB If you wash out a container, you wash the inside of it. □ [V P n] It was my job to wash out the fish tank.

2 PHRASAL VERB If dye or dirt washes out , it can be removed by washing. □ [V P ] With permanent tints, the result won't wash out.

3 PHRASAL VERB If rain washes out a sports game or other event, it spoils it or prevents it from continuing. □ [V P n] Rain washed out five of the last seven games.

4 → see also washed-out , washout

▸  wash over PHRASAL VERB If something someone does or says washes over you, you do not notice it or it does not affect you in any way. □ [V P n] The television headlines seemed to wash over her without meaning anything.

▸  wash up