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 used in plural

d

British : swimming pool

—often used in 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

Providing clean water for bathing in sheltered, clean bird baths. — Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 July 2026

That includes a bath with breed-appropriate shampoo, a blow-dry and brush-out, a haircut or trim based on breed and preference, nail clipping and filing, ear cleaning and eye area cleaning. — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2026

Verb

Soaring ceilings at the Cliff House (one bedroom and bath each) stream in natural light. — Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 24 Feb. 2026

Unfortunately, this does mean that doing laundry may take a little longer now that the experts have decreed that not only should bath and hand towels be washed separately from kitchen towels, but also separately from bed sheets. — Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2026

Verb

More than 84% of dogs in the study showed at least mild signs of fear and anxiety in everyday situations, excluding learned fears related to grooming activities like nail trimming and bathing. — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2026

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the outbreak is not tied to building plumbing or indoor air conditioning units, and residents in the area can safely drink tap water, bathe, shower, cook and use their AC at home. — Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 6 July 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 population 79,900