washboard

Meanings

1. A board with a corrugated surface against which laundry may be rubbed.
2. Such a board used as a simple percussion instrument.
3. A board fastened along a ship's gunwale to prevent splashing; a splashboard.
4. A stretch of ripples or bumps on a dirt or gravel road caused by interaction between traffic and road surface.
5. Ellipsis of washboard abs.
6. Baseboard; skirting board.

1. To produce a rippled texture on a surface.
2. To play a washboard.
3. To move up and down or back and forth across the surface of a hive, possibly to lay down a layer of propolis and wax.

Etymology

From wash + board.