wash up

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

wash up (third-person singular simple present washes up, present participle washing up, simple past and past participle washed up)

1. (British, transitive, intransitive) To clean the utensils, dishes etc. used in preparing and eating a meal.

   You wash up tonight and I'll dry.

   I'm not washing up all these dishes.

2. (US, intransitive) To wash one's hands or face, often around mealtimes.

   Dinner is almost ready, so go and wash up.

3. (transitive, of water) To carry (an object) to land.

   The tide washes up a lot of driftwood.

   The whale was washed up on the beach.

4. (intransitive) To be carried by water to land.

   Some dangerous chemicals washed up on the beach.

5. (intransitive, by extension) To arrive in a place; to end up somewhere.
   • 2009, Joe Ambrose, Gimme Danger: The Story of Iggy Pop:

     Ron Asheton also washed up in LA, jamming with one-time Stooge Jimmy Recca and Amboy Dukes drummer K. J. Knight.

6. (slang, transitive, African-American Vernacular) To beat up (someone).

• (clean utensils, dishes, etc.): do the dishes, do the washing-up

• Upshaw, upwash, wha-ups, whasup, whaups