tumble dryer

British

noun

Also called: tumbler dryer. tumbler. a machine that dries wet laundry by rotating it in warmed air inside a metal drum

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

And Chagger has personal experience of tumble dryer fires.

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026

Chagger was able to deal with the fire safely and says he recommends putting a smoke alarm in the same room as a tumble dryer.

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026

Dry clothes outdoors if you can, rather than using a tumble dryer, or hang clothes indoors but ventilate well or use a dehumidifier to avoid damp.

From BBC • Aug. 27, 2025

The fire service told her this was the third fire in the area two weeks caused by a tumble dryer.

From BBC • Mar. 9, 2024

I’m just sitting here, waiting to take the sheets out of the tumble dryer.

From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023