Agitator
The central post in a traditional top-load washer that twists back and forth to move clothes through the wash water.
Definition
An agitator is the tall central post inside a traditional top-load washer that twists back and forth (or rotates with vanes) to move clothes through the detergent solution during the wash phase. Agitator-style washers are the simplest and most affordable washer designs, with low repair costs and excellent reliability records, but they use the most water (typically 30+ gallons per load) because the drum must fill above the load. Modern high-efficiency (HE) top-load washers replace the agitator with a low-profile impeller plate at the bottom of the drum, allowing larger usable drum capacity and significantly reduced water use at the cost of slightly gentler wash action and longer cycles.
Where this term appears
Agitator comes up in product spec sheets, service reports, and troubleshooting documentation across most major appliance brands. If you encountered it in a manual or a service description and want context for how it fits into the larger picture, the related articles in the sidebar drill into the practical details. The glossary as a whole is intended as a quick lookup reference; for a deep dive on any specific topic, jump to the related buying guide or troubleshooting article.