limewash
|lime-wash|
🇺🇸
/ˈlaɪm.wɑːʃ/
🇬🇧
/ˈlaɪm.wɒʃ/
lime-based coating
Etymology
'limewash' originates from English, specifically as a compound of 'lime' + 'wash'; 'lime' comes from Old English 'līm' (from Proto-Germanic *limaz) referring to the substance produced from heated limestone, and 'wash' comes from Old English 'wæscan' meaning 'to wash'.
'lime' was Old English 'līm' (from Proto-Germanic *limaz) and 'wash' was Old English 'wæscan' (from Proto-Germanic *waskjanan); the compound 'limewash' developed in English to denote a 'wash' or coating made of lime and has been used since Middle English to refer to the material and the act of applying it.
Initially it meant 'a wash made from lime' (both the liquid mixture and the act of applying it); over time it has retained this sense and now commonly refers both to the lime-based paint/coating and the act of coating with it.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a thin, white coating or paint made from slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) and water, applied to walls or masonry; also the coating produced by such a mixture.
The farmhouse's exterior was covered in limewash, giving it a bright white appearance.
Synonyms
Verb 1
to coat a surface (such as a wall) with limewash; to apply a mixture of lime and water as a paint or wash.
They limewashed the barn last summer to protect and brighten the walls.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
describing a surface that has been coated with limewash (usually the past-participial adjective 'limewashed').
The limewashed wall showed signs of weathering but still looked fresh.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/04 13:43