wash up
See also: washup
English
Pronunciation
Audio (General Australian): (file)
Verb
wash up (third-person singular simple present washes up, present participle washing up, simple past and past participle washed up)
- (British, transitive, intransitive) To clean the utensils, dishes etc. used in preparing and eating a meal.
- You wash up tonight and I'll dry.
- I'm not washing up all these dishes.
- (US, intransitive) To wash one's hands and/or face, often around mealtimes.
- Dinner is almost ready, so go and wash up.
- (transitive, of water) To carry (an object) to land.
- The tide washes up a lot of driftwood.
- The whale was washed up on the beach.
- (intransitive) To be carried by water to land.
- Some dangerous chemicals washed up on the beach.
- (intransitive, by extension) To arrive in a place; to end up somewhere.
- 2009, Joe Ambrose, Gimme Danger: The Story of Iggy Pop:
- Ron Asheton also washed up in LA, jamming with one-time Stooge Jimmy Recca and Amboy Dukes drummer K. J. Knight.
- (slang, transitive, African-American Vernacular) To beat up (someone).
Synonyms
- (clean utensils, dishes, etc.): do the dishes, do the washing-up
Derived terms
Translations
clean utensils, dishes, etc. — see do the dishes
wash one's hands and/or face (US)
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of water, to carry (an object) to land
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be carried on to land by water