washbasin

washbasin — noun

1. A container made of ceramic or other hard material, fixed to a bathroom wall, wi

1.nounB1
Definition

A container made of ceramic or other hard material, fixed to a bathroom wall, with faucets that bring in water and a drain that lets used water flow out, used for cleaning the hands and face.

Example

Gita filled the washbasin with warm water to wash her face.

collocation: fill a washbasin with [water]

The plumber fixed a leaky pipe under the washbasin in the guest bathroom.

Common collocations
  • fill a washbasin
  • clean a washbasin
  • washbasin with hot and cold taps
  • ceramic / porcelain washbasin
  • washbasin in the bathroom
  • under the washbasin
  • drain of the washbasin
Synonyms
  • sink

    The everyday word in American English; also refers to kitchen fixtures, which a washbasin does not.

  • basin

    A more general term for any bowl-shaped container, not necessarily plumbed or fixed to a wall.

  • washbowl

    Usually a movable, unplumbed bowl used for washing; less common in modern homes and slightly old-fashioned.

  • hand basin

    A common British synonym, especially in public restroom contexts.

Grammar Patterns

a/the washbasin

possessive + washbasin

Usage Note

Washbasin is more common in British English. In American English, sink (or bathroom sink) is the usual word for the same fixture. A washbasin is only found in bathrooms or cloakrooms, not in kitchens.

Common Mistakes

I washed the dishes in the washbasin.
I washed the dishes in the kitchen sink.
A washbasin is for personal washing (hands, face), not for cleaning dishes or clothes.
Please use the washbasin in the kitchen.
Please use the sink in the kitchen.
Kitchen fixtures are called sinks, not washbasins, in all varieties of English.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Washbasin, sink, basin, and washbowl all describe containers used for washing, but they differ in scope and region. Sink is the broadest term — it covers kitchen and bathroom fixtures alike and is the default word in American English. Basin is more general still: it can refer to a river basin, a mixing bowl, or a geological depression. Washbowl is a narrower, slightly old-fashioned term for a movable bowl you fill with water from a jug, not connected to plumbing. Washbasin sits between sink and basin in specificity: it always means a fixed, plumbed bathroom fixture, and it is the preferred term in British English. For example, a British person might say 'the washbasin needs cleaning' while an American would almost always say 'the bathroom sink needs cleaning.'

sinkbasin ↗washbowl

Common collocations

Nouns

  • ceramic washbasin
  • porcelain washbasin
  • bathroom washbasin
  • pedestal washbasin

Phrases

  • washbasin and mirror
  • washbasin with pedestal

Prepositions

  • in the washbasin
  • under the washbasin
  • into the washbasin

Etymology

Old EnglishOld FrenchLatinEnglish

Washbasin is a compound of wash and basin. Wash comes from Old English wascan (to cleanse), and basin comes via Old French bacin from Latin bacinus (a wide, shallow container). The compound came into use in the 19th century, when indoor plumbing became more common in homes, and a fixed bowl with taps replaced the older practice of using a movable washbowl with a jug of water.