Launderer

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈlɔːndəɹə(ɹ)/

Definitions

1. Someone who cleans or washes clothing and linens ; an individual who disguises the origin of illegally obtained funds through transactions
2. A person engaged in operating a laundry service cleaning garments ; one who processes illicit money to make it appear legitimate
3. An individual responsible for washing textiles and apparel ; a person involved in concealing the criminal source of money

Etymology: The ending "-er" has two lines of descent that merged in English. One runs through Old English "-ere," a native Germanic suffix that attached to verbs to name the person doing an action. The other runs through Old French "-ier," which came from Latin "-arius," a suffix used for people tied to a trade or role. Both trace back to the same Latin source, so English ended up with two versions of one ending, and they became indistinguishable by Middle English. The first part, "launder," is the verb "to wash clothes," so a launderer is simply someone who does that work for others. The compound is transparent: the verb plus the suffix that names a doer, with no change in meaning beyond that.

Synonyms: cleaner, washer, dry cleaner, laundry worker