bathtub

American  

[bath-tuhb, bahth-] / ˈbæθˌtʌb, ˈbɑθ- /

noun

• bathtubs
  plural

1. a tub to bathe in, especially one that is a permanent fixture in a bathroom.

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bathtub British  

/ ˈbɑːθˌtʌb /

noun

1. a bath, esp one not permanently fixed

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bathtubs
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of bathtub

First recorded in 1825–35; bath ¹ + tub

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Explanation

A bathtub is a bathroom fixture, a tub that you can fill with water for bathing. Some people like to soak in a bathtub at the end of a long day. Many bathtubs are made of ceramic or porcelain, and they're large enough for an adult to lie down in at least partially submerged in water. Some bathrooms have only a bathtub, or only a shower, while others have both. In Britain, it's more common to call a bathtub simply a bath. During Prohibition in 1920s America, "bathtub gin" referred to any kind of home-brewed alcohol, whether it was actually made in a bathtub or not.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bathtub bathtubs

This is roughly equivalent to stopping an overflowing bathtub by shutting off the water to the entire apartment building because you cannot get to the faucet.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026

Cardiff Rugby academy players stumbled on Christopher's bathtub while carrying out essential maintenance work on the mountain, and helped rangers retrieve it.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

I can take up to three hot baths in a day if I have a great bathtub, if everybody’s taken care of.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

You don’t need Charlize Theron in a bathtub explaining this to you, right?

From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026

Lyle likes to hang out in the bathtub and walk the dog.

From "Crenshaw" by Katherine Applegate

But many of their homes aren’t suitable for aging because of stairs, bathtubs, narrow doorways and slippery tile floors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026

Just like sinks and bathtubs have overflow drains to prevent spills, human cells appear to have a similar built-in safeguard.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 26, 2026

Built in 2008, it features parquet de Versailles flooring, 18th-century French Louis XV–carved stone fireplaces, and hand-carved marble bathtubs.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 5, 2026

But builders were already bracing for material shortages and potentially higher costs for such items as lumber and bathtubs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2025

I’ve been to fund-raisers in private homes that look more like art museums, houses where people own bathtubs made from gemstones.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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