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.
"To say that the circumstances surrounding how they came to be in the bath are unusual would be an understatement," Raper said in the judgement.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
A post from Goop’s official account in February featured Gwyneth Paltrow sharing her personal nervous system reset, which included a relaxing bath, a superfood smoothie and a girls’ weekend in Ojai.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
The primary bath has a wet room with a free-standing tub and shower.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
She's explored sleeping on the kitchen floor and having a cold bath every night.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
"Have you ever taken a bath since? Filled the tub deeper than your ankles?"
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
Burnham spoke to reporters in Bath, it says, telling them he was making no guarantees but wanted to assure himself that "everything has been looked at before this policy proceeds".
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
However, after Fraser left the club following a disagreement with senior figures, Bath also departed and former City staff moved into senior academy positions.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
While Chelsea were under new ownership, Bath was developing a fresh strategy.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
“Through these gates pass the best shipbuilders in the world,” reads a sign at the 142-year-old Bath Iron Works, which builds for the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
As she waves her arms in excitement, some of the mail falls out of the pile, and a gigantic Bed Bath and Beyond coupon lands near my foot.
From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan
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
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
All of the bedrooms feature en suite baths, including the primary suite found on the main floor.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 26, 2026
But head teacher Claire Judd said they went a step further - cooling their feet in water baths and "nipping in and out" of a World War Two German bunker.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
Very hot showers and baths also provide a reprieve from nausea.
From Slate ● Jun. 13, 2026
His tears—they said—were the warm water baths that steamed up his oven.
From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
Maxine glides along, bathed in gratitude, making assured artistic decisions and certain that she is on the precipice of something that will change her life forever.
From Salon ● Jun. 29, 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
Looking at my computer, I find myself lingering over a beautiful wide-angle photo of a mountain peak: giant slabs of sharp rock, brushed with snow and bathed in sunlight.
From The Wall Street Journal ● 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
A sunbeam streamed through the big glass windows of the Serenity Suite and bathed Aunt Florentine’s alabaster white casket in a golden light.
From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles
Like most Korean spas, Spa Hyu offers hot and cold pools for bathing in the buff, with separate men’s and women’s soaking areas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
Its wastewater director Richard Warneford said: "We are hopeful that these actions will make a positive difference to the bathing water at Cullercoats."
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026
Thoreau called cold-water bathing “a religious exercise, and one of the best things which I did.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 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
Nana takes me to Target to buy a new bathing suit for the occasion.
From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty
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.
