Laundrettes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small self-service establishment where customers can wash and dry their clothes using coin-operated machines
2. A facility typically equipped with washing machines and dryers for public use, enabling individuals to clean their laundry
3. An outlet that offers laundering services through communal washing machines and dryers, often catering to those without home appliances

Etymology: This is an inflected form: "laundrettes" is simply the plural of "laundrette," so the history lies in the base word. "Laundrette" is formed from "laundry" plus the suffix "-ette," which in English marks something small or a diminutive, as in "kitchenette" or "cigarette." The suffix came into French from a Latin ending, "-ittus," and passed through Old French and Middle English before attaching to English words. "Laundry" has a longer road behind it. It traces back through Old French "lavanderie" and Latin "lavandaria" to the Latin verb "lavare," meaning "to wash," which also gave English words like "lave" and "lavatory." Middle English "lavendrie" was the earlier form, and the word's modern spelling emerged from it.

Synonyms: laundromats, wash houses, self-service laundries