wash-boiler

A woman uses a wash-boiler to heat water for laundry.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A wash-boiler is a container, typically made of metal, used for boiling laundry or clothing to clean them. It is a historical household item, often heated on a stove or with a built-in heating element, and was common before modern washing machines became widespread.

Usage Examples

• (A metal container for boiling laundry.)
• (A historical item for washing clothes by boiling.)

Advanced Usage

• "to put something in the wash-boiler": to place clothes or linens into the container for boiling.

  • She put the white shirts in the wash-boiler to remove stains. (She boiled the shirts to clean them.)

• "wash-boiler fire": a fire used to heat the wash-boiler, often outdoors.

  • In the old days, they built a wash-boiler fire in the yard to do the laundry. (A fire for heating the laundry container.)

Variants and Related Words

• Wash-boiler (n): the primary term; no common variants.
• Boiler (n): a container for heating water, often used in home heating systems, but distinct from a wash-boiler.
  • The house had a boiler for hot water. (A heating device, not specifically for laundry.)

Synonyms

• Laundry boiler: a synonym emphasizing its use for washing clothes.
• Copper: a colloquial term, especially when the wash-boiler is made from copper.
  • She heated the copper over the fire. (A copper wash-boiler.)

Related Idioms

• "Boil the wash": an idiomatic phrase meaning to clean laundry by boiling it in a wash-boiler.
  • Every Monday, she would boil the wash in the backyard. (She would do the laundry using a wash-boiler.)

Notes on Usage

• The term "wash-boiler" is largely historical and may not be understood by younger generations without context. It is most often encountered in discussions of domestic history, antique collecting, or period literature.