dishwasher

American  

[dish-wosh-er, -waw-sher] / ˈdɪʃˌwɒʃ ər, -ˌwɔ ʃər /

noun

1. a person who washes dishes.

2. a machine for washing dishes, kitchen utensils, etc., automatically.

---

dishwasher British  

/ ˈdɪʃˌwɒʃə /

noun

1. an electrically operated machine for washing, rinsing, and drying dishes, cutlery, etc

2. a person who washes dishes, etc

---

Etymology

Origin of dishwasher

First recorded in 1520–30; dish + washer

Explanation

If you work as a dishwasher, your job involves cleaning the glasses, plates, bowls, and silverware at a restaurant or cafe. You're also a dishwasher if you volunteer to wash the dishes after dinner at home. Some dishwashers scrub pots, pans, and dishes by hand, while others simply load up the other kind of dishwasher — a machine that automatically cleans dishes. While a human dishwasher has to scrub to get the dishes clean, a mechanical dishwasher sprays extremely hot water to do the same job. This new and improved type of dishwasher was invented in the late 19th century.

Example Sentences

She performs humble Christian motherhood with aplomb, her antisocial personality tucked away as deftly as the farmhouse kitchen’s off-camera dishwasher.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

I would stand in our kitchen at dusk, the marine layer settling in, peaceful as I loaded the dishwasher in a life I hadn’t necessarily seen for myself.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

“I’m not paying anything” for it, she said, explaining that she just uses the dishwasher soap she already has.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026

They have had to shell out thousands of dollars for repairs, including replacing the washing machine and dishwasher, Conrad said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

I rinse my dish off and set it in the dishwasher, then go back outside.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko