washout
|wash-out|
🇺🇸
/ˈwɑːʃaʊt/
🇬🇧
/ˈwɒʃaʊt/
washed away / ruined by water; failure
Etymology
'washout' originates from English, specifically the compound of the words 'wash' and 'out', where 'wash' meant 'to clean or carry away by water' and 'out' meant 'out' or 'away'.
'washout' developed from the phrasal verb 'wash out' (formed from Old English elements 'wæscan' for 'wash' and 'ūt' for 'out') and was later used as a noun and sometimes as an adjective in Modern English (reports of noun usage appear from the 19th century onward).
Initially it referred to the literal action or result of washing something out (removal by water); over time it acquired extended senses such as 'an event ruined by weather' and 'a failure or nonstarter'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an event (for example, a concert or picnic) that is ruined or cancelled because of heavy rain or bad weather.
The outdoor concert was a complete washout after the storm rolled in.
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Noun 2
a failure or disappointing result (something that proves unsuccessful).
The new product launch was a washout; sales never picked up.
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Last updated: 2025/09/09 13:12