I. ˈbath, -aa(ə)th, -aith, -ȧth noun
( plural baths -thz, -ths)
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English bæth; akin to Old High German bad bath, Old Norse bath, Old High German bāen to warm — more at bake
1. : a washing or soaking of all or part of the body (as in water, steam, mud, or sunshine)
a cool bath refreshed him
he took sun baths for his health
a mud bath
2.
a. : water or any other medium used for bathing
told her maid to draw her a bath
baby played in its bath
b. : a contained liquid for a special purpose (as for immersion of something to be acted upon in dyeing, metallurgy, or photography)
a mercury bath
a fixing bath containing a small amount of silver
c. : a medium (as water, air, sand or oil) for regulating the temperature of something placed in or on it
3.
a. : a room where one may bathe : bathroom
went into the bath to take a shower
b.
(1) : a building containing an apartment or a series of rooms designed for bathing
went twice a week to the public bath
(2) : one of the elaborate bathing establishments of the ancients — usually used in plural
the Roman baths in this quarter were found covered by an old burying ground — Tobias Smollett
c. : a place resorted to especially for medical treatment by bathing : spa — usually used in plural
spent the summer at the baths
d. : swimming pool
the sound of swimmers diving into baths — William Sansom
4. : the quality or state of being covered with a liquid
his head all over in a bath of sweat — Bernard Mandeville
5.
a. : a receptacle for water in which to bathe : bathtub
cast-iron baths were introduced during the early 19th century — J.E.Gloag
b. : a receptacle for holding a liquid preparation in which something is immersed (as in dyeing, metallurgy, or photography)
c. : a vessel containing a medium for regulating the temperature of something placed in or on it and used especially in chemistry
II. ˈbȧth verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
transitive verb
Britain : to give a bath to
you'll have your little girl to bath and put to bed — Richard Llewellyn
intransitive verb
Britain : to take a bath
he was expected to shave, expected to bath — H.G.Wells
III. ˈbath noun
( -s )
Etymology: Hebrew
: an ancient Hebrew unit of capacity for liquids equal to 1/10 homer or about 10 gallons and corresponding to the ephah of dry measure
IV. noun
: a financial setback : loss
heard that you took a bath on the South African securities — J.K.Galbraith