bath1

 
Pronunciation: /bɑːθ/

noun (plural baths /bɑːðz/)

  • a large container for water, used for immersing and washing the body: the bedrooms have their own bath and shower he lay in the bath
  • an act or process of immersing and washing one’s body in the water held by a bath: she took a long, hot bath
  • (usually baths) British a building containing a public swimming pool or washing facilities: he told them to meet him at the baths they expected me to use the public baths
  • chiefly North American a bathroom: people are spending more money on their kitchen and bath
  • [with modifier] a container holding a liquid in which something is immersed, typically when undergoing a process such as film developing.

verb

[with object] British
  • wash (someone) while immersing them in a bath: how to bath a baby
  • [no object] wash oneself while immersed in a bath: there was no hot water to bath in

Phrases

an early bath

British informal used in reference to the sending off of a sports player during a match: the referee awarded a penalty and ordered an early bath for Thomas

take a bath

informal suffer a heavy financial loss: even though we got stuck in a rotten gold market, our readers didn’t take a bath

Origin:

Old English bæth, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch bad and German Bad