Definition

1. Noun:
   • A woman whose occupation is washing clothes, especially for payment: A laundress is a working woman employed to wash and often iron laundry, typically for other households or establishments.

Usage

• The word "laundress" specifically denotes a female worker in the laundry trade. It is a historical or occupational term.
• It is used to describe a person's job or role.

Examples

• In the 19th century, many women worked as a laundress to support their families.
• The large estate employed a cook, a maid, and a laundress.
• She took in washing from several families in the neighborhood, working diligently as a laundress.

Advanced Usage

• The term can appear in historical contexts, literature, or discussions of traditional occupations.
• "to work as a laundress": to have the job of washing clothes professionally.
  • After her husband died, she was forced to work as a laundress.

Variants and Related Words

• Laundry (n): 1. The process of washing clothes and linens. 2. A room or building where clothes are washed.
• Launder (v): To wash and iron clothes or linens.
• Launderer (n): A person, not gender-specific, whose job is to launder clothes. (Note: "Laundress" is the specifically female form).

Synonyms

• Washerwoman: A woman who washes clothes, especially as a job. (This is a close synonym).
• Laundry worker: A more modern, gender-neutral term for someone who works in a laundry.

Antonyms

• There are no direct antonyms, but contrasting roles could be employer or client (the person for whom the laundress works).

Notes

• The word "laundress" is less common in modern everyday language, as the profession and the terminology have evolved. Terms like "dry cleaner," "laundry attendant," or "laundry worker" are more frequently used today.
• It is a compound noun formed from "launder" (an archaic verb for washing) + the feminine suffix "-ess".

Noun

1. a working woman who takes in washing