/ bɑːθ; NAmE bæθ/ noun , verb
■ noun ( pl. baths / bɑːðz; NAmE bæðz/)
1.
[ C ] ( BrE ) (also bath·tub , informal tub NAmE , BrE ) a large, long container that you put water in and then get into to wash your whole body
—see also bird bath
2.
[ C ] ( BrE ) the water in a bath/ bathtub , ready to use :
a long soak in a hot bath
Please run a bath for me (= fill the bath with water) .
3.
[ C ] an act of washing your whole body by sitting or lying in water :
I think I'll have a bath and go to bed.
( especially NAmE )
to take a bath
—see also bubble bath
4.
baths [ pl. ] ( old-fashioned , BrE ) a public building where you can go to swim
—see also swimming bath , swimming pool
5.
[ C , usually pl. ] a public place where people went in the past to wash or have a bath :
Roman villas and baths
—see also Turkish bath
6.
[ C ] ( technical ) a container with a liquid such as water or a dye in it, in which sth is washed or placed for a period of time. Baths are used in industrial, chemical and medical processes.
—see also bloodbath
•
IDIOMS
- take a bath
■ verb ( BrE ) ( NAmE bathe )
1.
[ vn ] to give a bath to sb :
It's your turn to bath the baby.
2.
[ v ] ( old-fashioned ) to have a bath
••
WHICH WORD
bath / bathe / swim / sunbathe
When you wash yourself you can say that you bath ( BrE) or bathe ( NAmE ) , but it is much more common to say have a bath ( BrE ) or take a bath ( NAmE ).
You can also bath ( BrE ) or bathe ( NAmE ) another person, for example a baby.
You bathe a part of your body, especially to clean a wound.
When you go swimming it is old-fashioned to say that you bathe , and you cannot say that you bath or take a bath . It is more common to swim , go for a swim , have a swim or go swimming :
Let's go for a quick swim in the pool.
•
She goes swimming every morning before breakfast.
What you wear for this activity is usually called a swimming costume in BrE and a bathing suit in NAmE .
When you lie in the sun in order to go brown you sunbathe .
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English bæth , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch bad and German Bad .