washstand

/ˈwɒʃstænd/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈwɑːʃstænd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈwȯsh-ˌstand How to pronounce washstand (audio) ˈwäsh-/ (ame, mw)

washstand — noun

  • washstandsingular
  • washstandsplural

1. a small table-like stand that was common in bedrooms before bathrooms had runnin

1.名詞B2
釋義

a small table-like stand that was common in bedrooms before bathrooms had running water; it held a washbasin and a water jug so that people could wash their face and hands in the room.

例句

A carved oak washstand with a white porcelain basin stood in the bedroom corner.

collocation: carved oak washstand; washstand + stood

Every morning, Eitan poured water from the pitcher into the basin on his washstand.

同義詞
  • wash-hand stand

    chiefly British, now very rare; more explicitly names the stand's purpose

  • basin stand

    focuses on the basin rather than the whole piece of furniture

文法句型

a/an + washstand

washstand + verb (stood, held, housed)

用法筆記

This sense is almost always encountered in historical writing, museum descriptions, or antique catalogues. The object it describes was a bedroom fixture before houses had internal plumbing.

常見錯誤

❌I wiped the washstand after brushing my teeth.
✅I wiped the sink after brushing my teeth.
💡In modern English, a bathroom fixture with taps is called a 'sink' or 'washbasin', not a 'washstand'.

2. a wall-mounted or countertop fixture in a bathroom, fitted with taps that releas

2.名詞B1
釋義

a wall-mounted or countertop fixture in a bathroom, fitted with taps that release hot and cold water, where people wash their hands, face, or brush their teeth.

例句

After the long flight, Bao splashed cold water on his face at the hotel washstand.

collocation: at the washstand (preposition phrase)

The hotel washstand had two brass taps and a large oval mirror hanging above it.

同義詞
  • sink

    the most common modern word; can also refer to kitchen sinks

  • washbasin

    common in British English; slightly more formal than 'sink'

  • vanity

    a washstand with a counter and cabinet, typically in a bathroom

文法句型

a/an + washstand

washstand + verb (has, sits, features)

adjective + washstand

用法筆記

In British English, 'washstand' for this sense may sound slightly old-fashioned; 'washbasin' or 'sink' is more common in everyday speech. In American English, the term also competes with 'vanity' (referring to a washstand with a built-in cabinet).