Wiktionary
do the dishes
vb. (context intransitive English) To wash up dirty crockery, cutlery and dishes.
WordNet
do the dishes
v. wash dishes; "I cook and my husband washes up after dinner" [syn: wash up]
Usage examples of "do the dishes".
I hum as I do the dishes, imagine the little being inside me hearing the humming, filing the humming away for future reference at some subtle, cellular level and as I stand there, conscientiously washing my salad bowl I feel a slight twinge somewhere deep inside, somewhere in my pelvis.
Olivia offered to do the dishes, but her mother refused to let her, and instead they all put on coats and went out into the garden for a bit of fresh air.