washboard noun 7verb 3forms 3 noun7 •A board with a corrugated surface against which laundry may be rubbed.Numerous washing machines have been invented to save the fair sex from the severe labor of the Wash-board. — 1847 •Such a board used as a simple percussion instrument. •(informal) Ellipsis of washboard abs. •A stretch of ripples or bumps on a dirt or gravel road caused by interaction between traffic and road surface.It's a rough trip no matter how you come, for these washboard roads will loosen up even brandnew cars pretty fast; and hitchhikers always find the going bad. — 1948 •(informal) A flat-chested woman.He slowly raised his head to look at me. "Shut it, washboard." "Huh?!" Here I was trying to comfort him, and what did I get for my troubles? An insult. — 2022 •A board fastened along a ship's gunwale to prevent splashing; a splashboard. •(old-fashioned) Baseboard; skirting board. verb3 •To play a washboard.It's almost as if the urge to washboard is intrinsically human. — 2008 •To produce a rippled texture on a surface.Doug came up with a half-guilty smile and washboarded his forehead at her. — 1967 •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.Individual bees have been observed washboarding on the inside glass of an observation hive. — 2015 formswashboarded · washboarding · washboards
