Meaning & use
wash lines
Last updated
Meanings
nounplural
Ropes or wires on which washed clothes are hung to dry, often outdoors.
Grammar: Used as a plural noun; a single rope is usually called a 'clothesline'.
Patterns
- hang something on the wash lines
- take something off the wash lines
She hung the wet sheets on the wash lines in the backyard.
The wash lines were full of clothes flapping in the wind.
nounplural
Visible lines or creases left on fabric after it has been washed or worn.
Grammar: Usually plural; often used with 'have' or 'show'.
Patterns
- have wash lines
- show wash lines
This shirt has wash lines around the collar.
The old tablecloth showed wash lines from years of use.
Common combinations
- hang on the wash lines
- He hung the towels on the wash lines to dry.
- take in the wash lines
- Before it rained, she took in the wash lines.
- full of wash lines
- The garden was full of wash lines on laundry day.
- wash lines in something
- There were wash lines in the fabric after washing.
Synonyms and how they differ
- clothesline
- This is the usual singular word for a rope or wire for drying clothes; 'wash lines' is plural and less common in modern American English.
- drying line
- A more general term that can mean any line for drying things, not just clothes.
Word family
Commonly confused: wash lines or clothesline?
wash lines vs clothesline
A clothesline is a single rope or wire for drying clothes; 'wash lines' is plural and can also mean creases on fabric.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'wash lines' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 0 correctly uses 'wash lines' to mean ropes for drying clothes. Option 1 is nonsense because 'lines' are not washed. Option 2 confuses 'wash lines' with the action of washing. Option 3 uses 'wash lines' to mean drawn lines, which is not the usual meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “wash lines”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.