What does laundromat mean?
A laundromat is a self-service laundry facility where customers wash and dry their clothes in machines, usually by inserting coins, tokens, or a payment card. It is especially common in North America, where the word often evokes neighborhood businesses offering rows of washers and dryers. The term is also used more broadly for the business itself, not only the building. A laundromat differs from a traditional staffed laundry because customers generally load and unload the machines themselves, although some modern facilities offer both self-service and full-service options. The word is practical and familiar, while also carrying the everyday association of household chores, appliances, and doing laundry away from home. In British English, “launderette” is the more usual term for a similar establishment.
nounA self-service facility where people pay to wash and dry clothes, typically using coin-operated or card-operated machines.
- A self-service facility with machines for washing and drying clothes.
"She took her laundry to the laundromat while the washing machine at home was broken."
"I need to stop at the laundromat before work."
"The laundromat was crowded with students washing clothes on Saturday afternoon."
The plural is formed by adding -s.
"There are two laundromats near the apartment."
The word laundromat brought automation to the neighborhood laundry: it combines “laundry” with “automat” and became especially associated with self-service washing in 20th-century North America.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of laundromat
“Laundromat” was formed in 20th-century North America by combining “laundry” with “automat,” reflecting the introduction of self-service washing machines. “Laundry” comes through Old French and Medieval Latin from Latin lavandus, meaning “to wash,” while “automat” derives from Greek automaton, meaning “self-acting” or “acting by itself.” The compound therefore describes a place where laundry is handled through self-operating machines. Its development is closely associated with the spread of coin-operated laundry facilities in the United States.
How laundromat is actually used
The term is most common in North American English. In Britain, “launderette” is the usual equivalent, while “laundry” may refer more generally to a laundry business or the act of washing clothes.
Easily confused with laundromat
A laundromat is usually a self-service facility with customer-operated machines, whereas a laundrette is traditionally a staffed establishment where employees wash customers’ clothes.