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What is "washing-up"

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
washing-up
noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a washing-up bowl (=for washing the dishes in)
▪ a plastic washing-up bowl
washing-up liquid
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ Female speaker My daddy does the washing-up for mummy.
▪ I decide to do the washing-up before I start putting Mum to bed.
▪ I hope that's ozone-friendly washing-up liquid they're using.
▪ On hearing the story Lily had retired to bed with a headache leaving Stella to do the washing-up.
▪ Sarah finished the washing-up and, taking off her apron, folded it and placed it in one of the table drawers.
▪ She leaves at nine-thirty, when dinner is finished and the washing-up is done.
▪ Sweat from the washing-up misted her forehead and nose.
▪ These Christians served each other, did not fight each other, laughed with one another, and did each other's washing-up!
Wiktionary
washing-up

a. Of or relating to washing dishes. n. (context British English) The act of washing dishes etc; dishwashing.

WordNet
washing-up

n. the washing of dishes etc after a meal

Usage examples of "washing-up".

I went below to do the washing-up, tossing the slops out of the porthole into the sea.

After dinner we decided that Sunday afternoon was a bad time to go round the village asking for charity, because money given away on Sunday was for church collection, and anyway, all the grown-ups would be taking their Sunday afternoon siesta and would not be pleased at having to get up and answer the door, so, to repay Aunt Lally for her kind contribution to our missionary box, we went to her while she was doing the washing-up and asked for something Sundayish to read.

The bowl of washing-up water he takes outside to empty over the alpines: no water should be wasted at a time of shortage.

He prepared a sicklier version -- whiskey and port-style British wine diluted with warm water from the washing-up tap -- and this too was well appreciated.

Wendy points out that most of these jobs already have waiting lists, even washing-up, as there are far more prisoners than jobs.