I. bath 1 S2 W3 /bɑːθ $ bæθ/ BrE AmE noun ( plural baths /bɑːðz, bɑːθs $ bæðz, bæθs/) [countable]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: bæth ]
1 . if you take a bath, you wash your body in a bath:
After a week of camping, I really needed a bath.
have a bath British English take a bath American English :
I’ll have a bath and go to bed.
How often do you take a bath?
I’ll give the children their bath (=wash them in a bath) .
2 . British English a large long container that you fill with water and sit or lie in to wash yourself SYN bathtub American English
3 . water that you sit or lie in to wash yourself:
a hot bath
She ran a bath (=put water into a bath) .
4 . a bathroom, used especially in advertising:
All our luxury bedrooms have a private bath.
5 . a container full of liquid in which something is placed for a particular purpose
bath of
Plunge the fabric into a bath of black dye.
6 . baths [plural]
a) British English old-fashioned a public building in which there is a swimming pool
b) a public building where people could go in the past to wash themselves:
the Roman baths at Cirencester
7 . take a bath American English informal to lose money, especially in a business deal:
We took a bath in the market over that stock.
⇨ ↑ birdbath , ↑ bubble bath , ⇨ throw the baby out with the bath water at ↑ throw 1 (37)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ have a bath especially British English , take a bath especially American English
She usually has a bath in the evening.
▪ give somebody a bath
He's upstairs giving the baby a bath.
▪ get in/into/out of the bath
I had to get out of the bath to answer the phone.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + bath
▪ a quick bath
It's easier to take a shower than a quick bath.
▪ a long bath
A long hot bath is a great way of relaxing.
▪ a hot/warm/cool bath
Why don't you have a nice warm bath?
▪ a bubble bath (=with nice-smelling bubbles in it)
She likes to destress by taking a bubble bath.
■ bath + NOUN
▪ bath time (=the time when someone, usually a child, has a bath)
Come on, Lucy, it's bath time.
▪ bath taps British English
The water coming out of the bath taps was freezing cold.
▪ a bath towel
She handed him a soft white bath towel.
▪ a bath mat (=small rug on the floor by the bath)
The bath mat was soaking wet.
▪ bath water
The bath water is getting cold.
▪ bath salts/crystals (=a substance that you put in a bath to make it smell nice)
She bought me some lavender bath salts.
▪ bath toy (=for a child to play with in the bath)
Bath toys are great for babies who've just learned to sit.
II. bath 2 BrE AmE verb British English
1 . [transitive] to wash someone in a bath SYN bathe American English :
I’ll bath the children.
2 . [intransitive] old-fashioned to wash yourself in a bath SYN bathe American English