washateria

washateria — noun

1. a public place where people pay to wash and dry their own clothes in shared mach

1.nounB2
Definition

a public place where people pay to wash and dry their own clothes in shared machines

Example

Ritu carried two bags of towels to the washateria after work.

go to the washateria with laundry

The washateria on Pine Street stays open all night for shift workers.

stays open all night

Common collocations
  • go to the washateria
  • wait at the washateria
  • neighborhood washateria
  • 24-hour washateria
  • washateria machines
Synonyms
  • laundromat

    the more common North American term for the same kind of business

  • launderette

    the usual British English equivalent

  • self-service laundry

    a descriptive phrase that emphasizes using the machines yourself

Grammar Patterns

singular noun

Usage Note

Used mainly in American English and often sounds more local or old-fashioned than laundromat. It usually refers to a public business where customers use the machines themselves.

Common Mistakes

Our apartment washateria is on the first floor.
Our apartment laundry room is on the first floor.
A washateria is a public business, not a laundry room inside your building.
The washateria cleaned my suit for me.
I washed my clothes myself at the washateria.
A washateria usually means a self-service place, not a shop where staff do the washing for you.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Washateria, laundromat, launderette, laundry room, and dry cleaner all connect to cleaning clothes, but they point to different places. Washateria is a regional American word for a public business where customers wash and dry their own clothes in shared machines. Laundromat is the more widely used North American term for the same idea, while launderette is the British equivalent. A laundry room is usually a private room inside a home or apartment building, not a business. A dry cleaner is a staffed shop that cleans clothes for you, often for delicate items that do not go in an ordinary washer.

washateria ↗laundromat ↗launderette ↗laundry roomdry cleaner

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • go to the washateria
  • wait at the washateria

Prepositions

Etymology

English (trade name)

Washateria began as a trade name in American English. Because people saw the word on public self-service laundry shops, it later started to be used as a common noun in some regions for that kind of place.

First known use

1937

1937, in the meaning defined above