Definition of "washboard" in English

noun

1. A board with a corrugated surface against which laundry may be rubbed.

2. (music) Such a board used as a simple percussion instrument.

3. (nautical) A board fastened along a ship's gunwale to prevent splashing; a splashboard.

4. (road transport) A stretch of ripples or bumps on a dirt or gravel road caused by interaction between traffic and road surface.

   • washboard road

5. (bodybuilding, colloquial) Ellipsis of washboard abs.

6. (dated) Baseboard; skirting board.

verb

1. To produce a rippled texture on a surface.

2. (music) To play a washboard.

3. (bees) To move up and down or back and forth across the surface of a hive, possibly to lay down a layer of propolis and wax.