backwashing
|back-wash-ing|
🇺🇸
/ˈbæk.wɑː.ʃɪŋ/
🇬🇧
/ˈbæk.wɒ.ʃɪŋ/
(backwash)
backward flow
Etymology
'backwashing' originates from English, specifically the compound of 'back' + 'wash'; 'back' comes from Old English 'bæc' meaning 'rear' and 'wash' comes from Old English 'wæscan' meaning 'to wash'.
'backwash' was formed in Middle English as a compound of 'back' and 'wash'; the modern gerund/participle 'backwashing' developed by adding the '-ing' suffix to denote the action or process.
Initially the elements referred literally to 'washing the back' or the motion toward the rear; over time the compound came to mean 'water moving back' or the process of washing in the reverse direction (as in filter cleaning).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the process of cleaning a filter or bed of media by reversing the flow (usually of water) so trapped solids are dislodged and removed.
Backwashing the pool filter weekly helps keep the water clear.
Synonyms
Noun 2
the backward flow or return movement of water (for example, the water returning after a wave breaks or the wake returning toward the shore).
After the storm the backwashing along the shoreline carried sand away.
Synonyms
Verb 1
present participle or gerund form of 'backwash' (i.e., performing the action of backwashing).
The technician recommended backwashing every 7 days to maintain filter efficiency.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/28 07:28