laundromat
nounUK /ˈlɔːndɹəʊˌmæt/ · /ˈlɑn.dɹəˌmæt/
Etymology Blend of laundry + automatic. From Laundromat, (former) trademark (1940s) of Westinghouse Electric Corporation for its washing machines, coined by Westinghouse publicist George Edward Pendray.
1
Australia, Canada, US A self-service laundry facility with (traditionally) coin-operated (which now may use other per-load payment methods) washing machines, dryers, and sometimes ironing or pressing machines, open to the public for washing clothing and household cloth items.
- In Virginia, gone are the weekly outings to Walmart to stock up on provisions; to El Ranchito, the Mexican convenience store, to buy shell-shaped concha pastries; and to the laundromat to machine wash heavily soiled garments.2020 October 19, Miriam Jordan, “Migrant Workers Restricted to Farms Under One Grower’s Virus Lockdown”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 19 Oct 2020:
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A money laundering operation.
- The Russian laundromat was soon nicknamed the Moldovan laundromat, as it centred on transactions between Russia and the small, poor country locked between Ukraine and Romania.2020, Birgitte Dyrekilde, Lars Abild, Man of Power:
- Synonyms
- launderette, laundrette, washeteria, washery, washette, coin laundry
- Derived terms
- laundromatting
- Hypernyms
- laundry