wash out etymology

Etymology

Wash out is a phrasal verb that originated in the 16th century. It is derived from the Old English verbs wascan ("to wash") and ūt ("out").

Meaning

Wash out has several related meanings:

• To remove something by washing or soaking it:
  • "The rain washed out the stain on my shirt."
• To remove something by erosion:
  • "The waves washed out the sandbar."
• To make something ineffective or useless:
  • "The storm washed out our plans for a picnic."
• To bleach or fade something by washing:
  • "The sun washed out the color of the curtain."

Origin

The earliest known use of wash out in the sense of "to remove something by washing" dates back to 1523. The other meanings developed later.

Examples

• "The doctor washed out the wound to prevent infection."
• "The river washed out the bridge, cutting off access to the town."
• "The power outage washed out the concert."
• "The harsh chemicals washed out the fabric."

wash out relate terms

• wash

  Etymology Old English wæscan ultimately derived from the Proto Indo European root wes

• washing

  Etymology The word washing comes from the Old English word wæscan which means to w

• dilute

  Etymology The word dilute comes from the Latin word diluere which means to wash aw

• laundry

  Etymology The word laundry originates from the Old French word laundrie which in tu

• rinse

  Etymology The word rinse comes from the Old French word rinser which means to clea

• launder

  Etymology Middle English laundren from Anglo French lavander from Late Latin lavanda

• bleed

  Etymology Middle English bleden from Old English blēdan of Germanic origin related

• mirage

  Etymology The word mirage comes from the Latin word mirari meaning to wonder at o

• solace

  Etymology The word solace comes from the Old French word solacier meaning to comfo

• decimate

  Etymology Derived from the Latin verb decimāre meaning to take a tenth part Me