bathe

[ beyth ]
See synonyms for bathe on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object),bathed, bath·ing.
  1. to immerse (all or part of the body) in water or some other liquid, for cleansing, refreshment, etc.

  2. to wet; wash.

  1. to moisten or suffuse with any liquid.

  2. to apply water or other liquid to, with a sponge, cloth, etc.: to bathe a wound.

  3. to wash over or against, as by the action of the sea, a river, etc.: incoming tides bathing the coral reef.

  4. to cover or surround: a shaft of sunlight bathing the room; a morning fog bathing the city.

verb (used without object),bathed, bath·ing.
  1. to take a bath or sunbath.

  2. to swim for pleasure.

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

noun
  1. British.

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

Origin of bathe

1
before 1000; Middle English bath(i)en,Old English bathian, equivalent to bæthbath1 + -ian infinitive suffix

Other words from bathe

  • re·bathe, verb, re·bathed, re·bath·ing.

Words that may be confused with bathe

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for bathe

bathe

/ (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

  1. to immerse or be immersed in a liquid: to bathe machine parts in oil

  2. mainly US and Canadian to wash in a bath

  3. (tr; often passive) to suffuse: her face was bathed with radiance

  4. (tr) (of water, the sea, etc) to lap; wash: waves bathed the shore

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

Origin of bathe

1
Old English bathian; related to Old Norse batha, Old High German badōn

Derived forms of bathe

  • bather, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012