The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Washing \Wash"ing\, n.
   1. The act of one who washes; the act of cleansing with
      water; ablution.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. The clothes washed, esp. at one time; a wash.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. (Mining) Gold dust procured by washing; also, a place
      where this is done; a washery.
      [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

   4. A thin covering or coat; as, a washing of silver.
      [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

   5. (Stock Exchanges) The operation of simultaneously buying
      and selling the same stock for the purpose of manipulating
      the market. The transaction is fictitious, and is
      prohibited by stock-exchange rules.
      [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

   6. (Pottery) The covering of a piece with an infusible
      powder, which prevents it from sticking to its supports,
      while receiving the glaze.
      [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

   Washing bear (Zool.), the raccoon.

   Washing bottle (Chem.), a bottle fitted with glass tubes
      passing through the cork, so that on blowing into one of
      the tubes a stream of water issuing from the other may be
      directed upon anything to be washed or rinsed, as a
      precipitate upon a filter, etc.

   Washing fluid, a liquid used as a cleanser, and consisting
      usually of alkaline salts resembling soaps in their
      action.

   Washing machine, a machine for washing; specifically, a
      machine for washing clothes.

   Washing soda. (Chem.) See Sodium carbonate, under
      Sodium.

   Washing stuff, any earthy deposit containing gold enough to
      pay for washing it; -- so called among gold miners.
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Appliance \Ap*pli"ance\, n.
   1. The act of applying; application.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. subservience; compliance. [Obs.] --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. A thing applied or used as a means to an end; an apparatus
      or device; as, to use various appliances; a mechanical
      appliance; a machine with its appliances.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. Specifically: An apparatus or device, usually powered
      electrically, used in homes to perform domestic functions.
      An appliance is often categorized as a major appliance or
      a minor appliance by its cost. Common major appliances are
      the refrigerator, washing machine, clothes drier,
      oven, and dishwasher. Some minor appliances are a
      toaster, vacuum cleaner or microwave oven.
      [PJC]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

washing machine
    n 1: a home appliance for washing clothes and linens
         automatically [syn: washer, automatic washer, washing
         machine]

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (19 January 2023):

washing machine

    An old-style 14-inch hard disk in a floor-standing
   cabinet.  So called because of the size of the cabinet and the
   "top-loading" access to the media packs - and, of course, they
   were always set on "spin cycle".  The thick channel cables
   connecting these were called "bit hoses".  The
   washing-machine idiom transcends language barriers; it is even
   used in Russian hacker jargon.

   See also walking drives.

   (1995-02-15)


The Jargon File (version 4.4.7, 29 Dec 2003):

washing machine
 n.

    1. Old-style 14-inch hard disks in floor-standing cabinets. So called
    because of the size of the cabinet and the ‘top-loading’ access to the
    media packs — and, of course, they were always set on ‘spin cycle’. The
    washing-machine idiom transcends language barriers; it is even used in
    Russian hacker jargon. See also walking drives. The thick channel cables
    connecting these were called bit hoses (see hose, sense 3).

    [76-02-14]

    2. [CMU] A machine used exclusively for washing software. CMU has
    clusters of these.