washing machine

Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

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]

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]

Free On-line Dictionary of Computing

<storage> 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

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.