Launderers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person or entity involved in cleaning or washing items, especially clothing
2. Someone who engages in the illegal process of concealing the origins of money obtained through illicit activities
3. An individual responsible for the business of providing laundering services, often for garments and fabrics

Etymology: In Middle English, a "lavender" was a washerwoman, borrowed from Anglo-French "lavandere" and ultimately from Latin "lavare," to wash. The verb "launder" was formed from that older noun, so the trade's name was once the name of the worker herself. The fragrant plant called lavender is a separate word. The modern form adds the suffix "-er," which marks a person who performs an action, so a launderer is one who launders. "Launderers" is simply the plural. The verb later gained a figurative sense, to make illegally obtained money look legitimate, which is why financial crime now uses the same word. The original sense of washing garments is still the older one.

Synonyms: cleaners, washers, dryers