bath

1 of 5

noun (1)

ˈbath 

ˈbäth

plural baths ˈbat͟hz  ˈbaths 

ˈbät͟hz, 

ˈbäths

1

: a washing or soaking (as in water or steam) of all or part of the body

2

a

: water used for bathing

b(1)

: a contained liquid for a special purpose

(2)

: a receptacle holding the liquid

c(1)

: a medium for regulating the temperature of something placed in or on it

(2)

: a vessel containing this medium

3

a

: bathroom

b

: a building containing an apartment or a series of rooms designed for bathing

c

: spa sense 1

—usually plural

d

British : swimming pool

—often plural

4

a

: the quality or state of being covered with a liquid

b

: flood sense 3

5

: bathtub

see also:

take a bath

bath

2 of 5

verb (1)

bathed; bathing; baths

transitive verb

British : to give a bath to

intransitive verb

British : to take a bath

bath

3 of 5

noun (2)

: an ancient Hebrew liquid measure corresponding to the ephah of dry measure

bathe

4 of 5

verb (2)

ˈbāt͟h 

bathed; bathing

transitive verb

1

: moisten, wet

2

: to wash in a liquid (such as water)

3

: to apply water or a liquid medicament to

4

: to flow along the edge of : lave

5

: to suffuse with or as if with light

intransitive verb

1

: to take a bath

2

: to go swimming

3

: to become immersed or absorbed

bather

ˈbā-t͟hər 

noun

bathe

5 of 5

noun (3)

1

British : bath entry 1 sense 1

2

British : swim, dip

Synonyms of bath

Noun (1)

• flood
• torrent

Verb (2)

• wash

Examples of bath in a Sentence

Noun (1)

after a night in that tropical heat I was practically drowning in a bath of sweat

retired to the upstairs bath to freshen up

Verb (2)

the cool waters of the North Atlantic bathe the island's shores

bathe your contact lens with the solution before inserting them

Noun (3)

We went for a bathe in the sea.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Facilities now extend to a seasonal mud bath with sunbathing terrace plus a modern sauna and steam bath inside. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Sep. 2026

Konca, who lives in a five-bedroom, six-bath home in Claremont, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026

Verb

In court filings, Wilson claimed that Ghost forced MacInnes to live with her during the movie’s production and then pressured her to bath together in their swimsuits. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 22 July 2026

Linens And Towels Sheets and blankets should be stored outside the bathroom when possible, as should bath towels because all are vulnerable to mildewing. — Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 17 June 2026

Verb

The Samaria regional council said the killed man, Netanel Shakron, was a settler who had been bathing at a spring ahead of Yom Kippur. — Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2026

Bridget reads Lizzie the tale of Countess Elizabeth Báthory of Ecsed (also portrayed by Krieps), a 16th-century Hungarian noblewoman said to have bled beautiful virgins to bathe in their blood and preserve her beauty. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English bæth; akin to Old High German bad bath, Old High German bāen to warm

Noun (2)

Hebrew

Verb (2)

Middle English, from Old English bathian; akin to Old English bæth bath

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (3)

1747, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing bath

• bath chair
• bath mat
• bath salts
• bubble bath
• draw/run a bath
• full bath
• half bath
• private bath
• shower bath
• sitz bath
• sponge bath
• stop bath
• swimming bath
• take a bath
• Turkish bath
• whirlpool bath

Rhymes for bath

• hath
• lath
• math
• path
• rath
• spath
• spathe
• strath
• wrath
• aftermath
• multipath
• psychopath

Kids Definition

bath

noun

ˈbath, 

ˈbȧth

plural baths

ˈbat͟hz, 

ˈbaths, 

ˈbȧt͟hz, 

ˈbȧths

1

: a washing of the body

take a bath

2

a

: water for bathing

draw a bath

b

: a liquid in which objects are placed so that it can act upon them

3

a

: bathroom

b

: a building containing rooms for bathing

Medical Definition

bath

1 of 2 noun

ˈbath, ˈbȧth 

plural baths ˈbat͟hz  ˈbaths 

ˈbȧt͟hz, 

ˈbȧths

1

: a washing or soaking (as in water) of all or part of the body see mud bath, sitz bath

2

a

: water used for bathing

b(1)

: a medium for regulating the temperature of something placed in or on it

(2)

: a vessel containing this medium

3

: a place resorted to especially for medical treatment by bathing : spa

—usually used in plural

bath

2 of 2 transitive verb

British

: to give a bath to

intransitive verb

British : to take a bath

Geographical Definition

Bath

geographical name

ˈbath 

ˈbäth

city in Somerset, southwestern England