eyewash

noun

eye·​wash ˈī-ˌwȯsh How to pronounce eyewash (audio)
-ˌwäsh
1
: an eye lotion
2
: misleading or deceptive statements, actions, or procedures

Examples of eyewash in a Sentence

He says he'll quit his job, but we know that's just eyewash.
Recent Examples on the Web Under this legislation, private households would be required to provide eyewash stations if workers use bleach and could face fines up to $15,000 per safety violation. Mackenzie Mays, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2023 Not a single eyewash station. John Kelly, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2022 There’s a thin line between optimism and eyewash. Paul Daugherty, The Enquirer, 27 Oct. 2020 The company was also cited for not providing an eyewash station and for allowing workers to operate powered industrial vehicles in states of disrepair. Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2022 The last recorded visit by an OSHA inspector to the Henson Company’s Creature Shop facility in Burbank — based on an entry scribbled on an eyewash station seen in a photo shared with The Hollywood Reporter — was in 2017. Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Mar. 2022 Meanwhile, the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview minority candidates for head coaching and senior football leadership positions, has become toothless, modern-day eyewash. Bryce Miller Columnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Feb. 2022 It was regularly infested with pigeons and other animals (which had to be wrangled out annually), and was outfitted with eyewash stations only in 2018, after numerous requests from various teams. Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2021 The Sox were losing for the 11th time in 14 games, turning a five-game lead into a five-game deficit after giving us nothing more than a little eyewash at the trade deadline. BostonGlobe.com, 13 Aug. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'eyewash.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1703, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of eyewash was in 1703

Dictionary Entries Near eyewash

Cite this Entry

“Eyewash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eyewash. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

eyewash

noun
eye·​wash -ˌwȯsh How to pronounce eyewash (audio)
-ˌwäsh
: an eye lotion

Medical Definition

eyewash

noun
: an eye lotion
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