washbowl

IPA/ˈwɒʃ.bəʊl/
IPA/ˈwɑːʃ.boʊl/

washbowl — noun

1. A portable basin that people carried around the house and filled with water for

1.nounB1
Definition

A portable basin that people carried around the house and filled with water for washing their face, hands, or small objects. Before homes had running water, the washbowl stood on a washstand or a low wooden cabinet.

Example

Before indoor plumbing was common, families used a washbowl and a pitcher of water to clean themselves each morning.

historical context: washbowl + pitcher of water

Ritu took the ceramic washbowl to her grandmother's room so the old woman could wash her face in bed.

Common collocations
  • ceramic washbowl
  • porcelain washbowl
  • washbowl and pitcher
  • washbowl and jug
  • fill a washbowl
  • empty a washbowl
Synonyms
  • basin

    more general term; can refer to any wide, open container for liquids

  • washbasin

    more common in modern usage; may refer to either portable or fixed types

  • hand basin

    specifically for hand-washing, often in bathrooms

Grammar Patterns

a [adjective] washbowl

washbowl + and + [item]

Usage Note

This sense is primarily used in historical or antique contexts. Modern homes typically use fixed plumbing rather than portable washbowls.

Common Mistakes

She washed her face in the bathroom washbowl' (when describing a portable basin in a modern bathroom).
She washed her face in the bathroom sink.
A fixed bathroom basin with pipes is a sink, not a portable washbowl.

2. A basin that is fastened to a bathroom wall and connected to water pipes, giving

2.nounB1
Definition

A basin that is fastened to a bathroom wall and connected to water pipes, giving users running water for washing their face and hands.

Example

The hotel bathroom had a small white washbowl with two chrome taps above a granite countertop.

collocation: washbowl + taps/faucets

Sivan scrubbed the paint stains off his hands in the washbowl before going to the interview.

Common collocations
  • bathroom washbowl
  • wall-mounted washbowl
  • washbowl with taps
  • washbowl with faucets
  • cracked washbowl
  • clean the washbowl
Synonyms
  • sink

    far more common in everyday use; can be in a kitchen or bathroom

  • washbasin

    slightly more formal; common in British English

  • hand basin

    specifies the purpose; used in home-improvement contexts

Grammar Patterns

washbowl + in + [room]

wall-mounted washbowl

Usage Note

This sense refers to the same object as a bathroom sink or washbasin. 'Washbowl' is much less common than 'sink' in everyday conversation. In British English, 'wash-hand basin' is an alternative.

Common Mistakes

I need to buy a washbowl for my kitchen.
I need to buy a sink for my kitchen.
In modern English, kitchen basins are called sinks, not washbowls.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All four words refer to a plumbed basin for washing hands and face, but they differ in frequency and register. 'Sink' is the most common word in everyday English — people say 'bathroom sink' or 'kitchen sink' without a second thought. 'Washbowl' is much rarer; most native speakers would understand it but rarely use it outside of historical, technical, or labelled-product contexts. 'Washbasin' sits in between — fairly common in British English, slightly formal, and often used for the fixture itself rather than the act of washing. 'Hand basin' is a trade term used in plumbing catalogues and home-improvement stores. In practice: 'I left my glasses by the bathroom sink' sounds natural; 'I left my glasses by the washbowl' sounds odd to most English speakers.

washbowl ↗sink ↗washbasin ↗hand basin

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in the washbowl
  • over the washbowl
  • a set of washbowls
  • washbowl and pitcher

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishProto-GermanicEnglish

'Washbowl' is a compound of the verb 'wash' (from Old English 'wascan', meaning to clean with water) and 'bowl' (from Old English 'bolla', a round container). The word has been used since the early 1700s for a portable basin used in washing, long before indoor plumbing made fixed sinks common. The two modern senses (portable vs. plumbed) reflect this historical shift.

First known use

1647

1647, in the meaning defined above