a washing or immersion of something, especially the body, in water, steam, etc., as for cleansing or medical treatment.
I take a bath every day. Give the dog a bath.
a quantity of water or other liquid used for this purpose.
running a bath.
a container for water or other cleansing liquid, as a bathtub.
a room equipped for bathing; bathroom.
The house has two baths.
a building containing rooms or apartments with equipment for bathing; bathhouse.
Often baths one of the elaborate bathing establishments of the ancients.
the baths of Caracalla.
Usually baths a town or resort visited for medical treatment by bathing or the like; spa.
a preparation, as an acid solution, in which something is immersed.
the container for such a preparation.
a device for controlling the temperature of something by the use of a surrounding medium, as sand, water, oil, etc.
Metallurgy.
the depressed hearth of a steelmaking furnace.
the molten metal being made into steel in a steelmaking furnace.
the state of being covered by a liquid, as perspiration.
in a bath of sweat.
a city in Avon, in SW England: mineral springs.
a seaport in SW Maine.
a large container, esp one made of enamelled iron or plastic, used for washing or medically treating the body
the act or an instance of washing in such a container
the amount of liquid contained in a bath
to turn on the taps to fill a bath with water for bathing oneself
(usually plural) a place that provides baths or a swimming pool for public use
a vessel in which something is immersed to maintain it at a constant temperature, to process it photographically, electrolytically, etc, or to lubricate it
the liquid used in such a vessel
First recorded before 900; Middle English noun bath, beth, beath, Old English bæth; cognate with Old Frisian beth, Old Saxon, Old Norse bath, German Bad; from Germanic bátha-n “what is warmed,” from a root meaning “to warm”
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English bath(us), batus, from Latin batus, from Greek bátos, from Hebrew bath
The action of soaking or washing yourself in water is a bath. You might take a bubble bath to relax before bed after a stressful day. Your soak in soapy water is a bath, and the tub in which you're lying is also a bath. Other containers of water are baths too, particularly in cooking: "If the custard's sitting in a hot water bath, it will cook more evenly." While the Old English root bæð means "immersing in water," it also means "immersing in mud." If an investor "takes a bath," it means, colloquially, that she loses a lot of money.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A splash mixed with olive oil, garlic and herbs creates a flavorful bath for chicken, pork or shrimp.
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
In the rare cases that heatstroke is suspected, the immediate next steps are an ice bath and calling 911.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
During the 1950s and 1960s, the team reconstructed a monumental bath gymnasium complex and the largest synagogue in the ancient world.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 25, 2026
They’re doing things that would’ve given Don Draper heart palpitations—laundry, bath time, their daughters’ hair—while espousing fairly traditional views on religion, discipline and masculinity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
Regina established a Sunday night ritual of running a bath for him, practically carrying him to the tub.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
In its defense, Hudson Bay maintained that an underlying agreement included contractual “blockers” that prevented the fund’s ownership of Bed Bath shares from ever exceeding that threshold.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
The postbankruptcy successor of Bed Bath & Beyond, which seeks to recover funds on behalf of the company’s former creditors, had filed the lawsuit against Hudson Bay.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Meanwhile Cindy Nellis and her team at Bath Domestic Appliances have their own tips for keeping your fridge cool in the heat.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
Semenyo might have signed for a Championship club but, still only 18 years old, he was immediately sent out on loan to non-league side Bath City.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
“If she is really ill, why not go to Bath, Mr. Weston?—To Bath, or to Clifton?”
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
In November 1970, Hafiz al-ASAD, a member of the Socialist Ba'th Party and the minority Alawite sect, seized power in a bloodless coup and brought political stability to the country.
From The 2008 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency
Sometimes the baths are so hot and I’m in them for such a long time, I do get lightheaded.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
The estate, in Incline Village, Nev., boasts 10 bedrooms, 12 full baths and panoramic views of the lake’s north shore and the Sierra Nevada.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
Ice baths lasting the exact duration of the race.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
All of the bedrooms feature en suite baths, including the primary suite found on the main floor.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 26, 2026
And I used to take baths with him.
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
For decades, the U.S. has maintained a program in which these flies are bred in a lab, bathed in sterilizing radiation and released around Panama, which prevents the insect from creeping northward.
From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2026
In the message, recorded before the crash, Javed described a dream: two angels had come for him and, before taking him away, bathed him in a fragrance that smelled of roses.
From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026
The inquiry heard evidence from an Aboriginal community living near a navy base in New South Wales state, who bathed in and gathered food near rivers contaminated by firefighting foam.
From Barron's ● May 28, 2026
Suggesting emergence rather than collapse, a winged metal woman rises from a hospital bed, bathed in multicolored light projected across the walls, while translucent metallic fragments dangle overhead.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026
When she sat up, water came to her chin—Akira would need to stand while he bathed!
From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata
The U.K. offers a cash allowance of up to $260 or so a week for those who struggle with basic functions like bathing, preparing food or managing finances because of physical or mental infirmities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
"I don't know if I look good in a bathing suit. I haven't had a bathing suit in a long time. I'm too busy," Trump said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
Those needs include medical- and personal-care services like medication management and help with bathing, dressing, eating, walking or toileting.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 16, 2026
Somebody said he looks great in a bathing suit, right?
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
Still, I can’t wear a bathing suit without a shirt for several more days.
From "Shouting at the Rain" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
