bathe

American  

[beyth] / beɪð /

verb (used with object)

bathed, bathing

1. to immerse (all or part of the body) in water or some other liquid, for cleansing, refreshment, etc.

2. to wet; wash.

3. to moisten or suffuse with any liquid.

4. to apply water or other liquid to, with a sponge, cloth, etc..

   to bathe a wound.

5. to wash over or against, as by the action of the sea, a river, etc..

   incoming tides bathing the coral reef.

6. to cover or surround.

   a shaft of sunlight bathing the room; a morning fog bathing the city.

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verb (used without object)

bathed, bathing

1. to take a bath or sunbath.

2. to swim for pleasure.

3. to be covered or surrounded as if with water.

noun

1. British.

   1. the act of bathing, especially in the sea, a lake, or a river.

   2. a swimming bath.

bathe British  

/ beɪð /

verb

1. (intr) to swim or paddle in a body of open water or a river, esp for pleasure

2. (tr) to apply liquid to (skin, a wound, etc) in order to cleanse or soothe

3. to immerse or be immersed in a liquid

   to bathe machine parts in oil

4. to wash in a bath

5. (tr; often passive) to suffuse

   her face was bathed with radiance

6. (tr) (of water, the sea, etc) to lap; wash

   waves bathed the shore

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noun

1. a swim or paddle in a body of open water or a river

Other Word Forms

• bather noun
• rebathe verb

Etymology

Origin of bathe

before 1000; Middle English bath ( i ) en, Old English bathian, equivalent to bæth bath ¹ + -ian infinitive suffix

Example Sentences

Only 16% said they regularly helped with more hands-on personal care like bathing and dressing, while 15% said they did this occasionally.

From MarketWatch

A small sunbeam had bored its way down through the overhead green, and the playhouse was bathed in a warm radiant glow.

From Literature

I laughed as they rolled me in the mud, and I saw now why they bathed in it.

From Literature

The casting team has “big bathing suits to fill,” Roberts said.

From Los Angeles Times

"I have children. They need to be kept warm, they need to be bathed, they need to be fed," said the father of four.

From Barron's

Related Words

• clean
• dip
• douse
• immerse
• rinse
• scour
• scrub
• soak
• steep
• submerge
• wet