noun
front-load washing machine; drum-type washing machine
Refers specifically to a washing machine with a horizontal drum that loads from the front, as opposed to a top-loading pulsator type.
新しいドラム式洗濯機は節水効果が高い。
The new front-load washing machine is highly water-efficient.
ドラム式洗濯機は乾燥機能が付いているものが多い。
Many drum-type washing machines come with a drying function.
A top-loading washing machine with a vertical pulsator, the more traditional type in Japan. ドラム式洗濯機 is the front-load drum type.
Compound of ドラム (drum) + 式 (type) + 洗濯機 (washing machine). The term describes the drum-based mechanism.