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Meaning & use

washcloth

noun·EverydayAmerican

Last updated

UK/ˈwɒʃ.klɒθ/
US/ˈwɑːʃ.klɑːθ/

Meaning

  1. nouncountableAmerican

    A small square of soft cloth used with soap and water to wash the face and body.

    Grammar: Countable: a washcloth, two washcloths.

    Patterns

    • wipe something with a washcloth
    • wring out a washcloth

    She wiped the baby's face with a warm washcloth.

    Hang the wet washcloth over the edge of the tub.

    He pressed a cold washcloth to his forehead.

Word forms

pluralwashcloths

Common combinations

warm washcloth
A warm washcloth soothed her eyes.
wet washcloth
Use a wet washcloth to wipe the table.
wring out a washcloth
Wring out the washcloth before you hang it up.
cold washcloth
A cold washcloth eased the fever.
soft washcloth
Use a soft washcloth on the baby's skin.

Synonyms and how they differ

flannel
Flannel is the usual British word for the same cloth.
face cloth
Face cloth is common in British English and focuses on washing the face.
facecloth
Facecloth is simply a one-word spelling of face cloth used in the UK.
washrag
Washrag is informal American and may suggest an old, worn cloth.

Word family

wash verb
to clean with water
cloth noun
fabric or a piece of it
washcloths noun
plural form
dishcloth noun
a cloth for washing dishes

Commonly confused: washcloth or dishcloth?

washcloth vs dishcloth

A dishcloth is for cleaning dishes, while a washcloth is for washing your skin.

Practice

What is a washcloth mainly used for?

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