laundromat

UK/ˈlɔːndɹəʊˌmæt/

nounB1+Common in everyday speech and writing · #7,172 of 15,258leans spoken

Other forms: laundromats

A laundromat is the shop full of coin machines where people without a washer clean clothes. Go to the laundromat, the laundromat on the corner, wait at the laundromat.

This is the American word; British English says launderette. Both began as trade names — Laundromat was a Westinghouse trademark of the 1940s that became the ordinary word, which is what happens to successful brand names.

Definitions of laundromat

1nounlaundromatA shop of coin-operated washing machines.B1+
“Our washing machine broke, so I took the clothes to the laundromat.”

laundromat is a shop.

Also accepted in games: launderette

Where it comes from

From Laundromat, a Westinghouse trademark of the 1940s for its washing machines. The name passed into general use.

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

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in In the City

Practise this word

laundromat in the wild

Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) suspects his laundromat stole $1,500 he left in his laundry bag, so Kramer (Michael Richards) drags Jerry into a revenge plot on the laundromat.
The Revenge (Seinfeld)
The first laundromat opened on April 18, 1934, in Fort Worth, Texas.
Self-service laundry
The lyrics use the laundromat as a metaphor for the washing away of an old relationship.
Laundromat (song)
The song's accompanying music video was filmed in a laundromat and includes Nick Cannon in Kelly's role.
Laundromat (song)

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

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