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laundromat

noun
/ˈlɔːndɹəʊˌmæt/UK/ˈlɑn.dɹəˌmæt/

Etymology

Blend of laundry + automatic. From Laundromat, (former) trademark (1940s) of Westinghouse Electric Corporation for its washing machines, coined by Westinghouse publicist George Edward Pendray.

  1. derived from αὐτόματον
  2. derived from automatum — “automaton”
  3. borrowed from automaticus
  4. compounded as laundromat — “laundry + automatic”

Definitions

  1. A self-service laundry facility with (traditionally) coin-operated (which now may use…

    A self-service laundry facility with (traditionally) coin-operated (which now may use other per-load payment methods) washing machines, dryers, and sometimes ironing or pressing machines, open to the public for washing clothing and household cloth items.

    • In Virginia, gone are the weekly outings to Walmart to stock up on provisions; to El Ranchito, the Mexican convenience store, to buy shell-shaped concha pastries; and to the laundromat to machine wash heavily soiled garments.

  2. A money laundering operation.

    • The Russian laundromat was soon nicknamed the Moldovan laundromat, as it centred on transactions between Russia and the small, poor country locked between Ukraine and Romania.

The neighborhood

Derived

laundromatting

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for laundromat. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA