wash ((n.)) [< Algonk. ; cf. Cree wate lair; see note below] DCHP-1 (pre-1967)
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- The above etymology is based on the fact that wash in this sense occurs only in trapping contexts in North America. Furthermore, the following quotes suggest fairly wide use of Cree and Ojibwa forms of a parent Algonkian word with the basic meaning of "lair."
1a n.
an underwater exit from a beaver lodge.
1b n.
the beaver lodge itself, including the escape routes.
2 n.
the living quarters of a muskrat, built on islands in and around a muskrat swamp.