acute contagious infection caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae; marked by the formation of a false membrane in the throat and other air passages causing difficulty in breathing
the work of cleansing (usually with soap and water)
any enterprise in which losses and gains cancel out; "at the end of the year the accounting department showed that it was a wash"
a watercolor made by applying a series of monochrome washes one over the other
a thin coat of water-base paint
the dry bed of an intermittent stream (as at the bottom of a canyon)
to cleanse (itself or another animal) by licking; "The cat washes several times a day"
cleanse (one's body) with soap and water
form by erosion; "The river washed a ravine into the mountainside"
remove by the application of water or other liquid and soap or some other cleaning agent; "he washed the dirt from his coat"; "The nurse washed away the blood"; "Can you wash away the spots on the windows?"; "he managed to wash out the stains"
apply a thin coating of paint, metal, etc., to
clean with some chemical process
cleanse with a cleaning agent, such as soap, and water; "Wash the towels, please!"
separate dirt or gravel from (precious minerals)
move by or as if by water; "The swollen river washed away the footbridge"
admit to testing or proof; "This silly excuse won't wash in traffic court"
be capable of being washed; "Does this material wash?"