Definitions of washout:

• noun:   the erosive process of washing away soil or gravel by water (as from a roadway)

  Example: "From the house they watched the washout of their newly seeded lawn by the water"

• noun:   the channel or break produced by erosion of relatively soft soil by water

  Example: "It was several days after the storm before they could repair the washout and open the road"

• noun:   someone who is unsuccessful