ablution
English
Etymology
From Middle English, ablucioun (“cleansing of impurities”), from Old French ablution, and its source, Late Latin ablūtiō (“a washing away”), from abluō (“wash away”), from ab (“away”) + lavō (“wash”)[1].
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /əˈbluː.ʃn̩/
- (US) IPA(key): /əˈblu.ʃn̩/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -uːʃən
Noun
ablution (countable and uncountable, plural ablutions)
- The act of washing something.
- (chemistry) Originally, the purifying of oils and other substances by emulsification with hot water; now more generally, a thorough cleansing of a precipitate or other non-dissolved substance. [First attested from around 1350 to 1470.][2]
- The act of washing or cleansing the body, or some part of it, as a religious rite. [From mid 16th century.][2]
- 1786, William Beckford, Vathek; an Arabian Tale:
- Let water be brought to perform my ablutions, and let the pious Fakreddin be called to offer up his prayers with mine.
-
- (literary or humorous, usually in the plural) Washing oneself; bathing, cleaning oneself up. [From mid 18th century.][2]
- 1835, William Gilmore Simms, The Partisan, Harper, Chapter II, page 25:
- He followed the steps of Bella, who soon conducted him to his chamber, and left him to those ablutions which a long ride along a sandy road had rendered particularly necessary.
-
- (Western Christianity) The rinsing of the priest's hand and the sacred vessel following the Communion with, depending on rite, water or a mix of it and wine, which may then be drunk by the priest. [from 17th c.]
- The liquid used in the cleansing or ablution. [From early 18th century.][2]
- (Can we date this quote?), Alexander Pope, (Please provide the book title or journal name):
- Cast the ablutions in the main.
-
- (Eastern Orthodoxy) The ritual consumption by the deacon or priest of leftover sacred wine of host after the Communion.
- (plural only, Britain, military) The location or building where the showers and basins are located. [From mid 20th century.][2]
Related terms
▼ <a href='/wiki/Category:English_terms_derived_from_the_PIE_root_*lewh%E2%82%83-' title='Category:English terms derived from the PIE root *lewh₃-'>English terms derived from the PIE root *lewh₃-</a> (0 c, 32 e)
<a href='/wiki/abluent' title='abluent'>abluent</a>
<a href='/wiki/ablute' title='ablute'>ablute</a>
<a href='/wiki/ablution' title='ablution'>ablution</a>
<a href='/wiki/absolute' title='absolute'>absolute</a>
<a href='/wiki/absolution' title='absolution'>absolution</a>
<a href='/wiki/absolve' title='absolve'>absolve</a>
<a href='/wiki/alluvion' title='alluvion'>alluvion</a>
<a href='/wiki/antediluvian' title='antediluvian'>antediluvian</a>
<a href='/wiki/deluge' title='deluge'>deluge</a>
<a href='/wiki/dilute' title='dilute'>dilute</a>
<a href='/wiki/dilution' title='dilution'>dilution</a>
<a href='/wiki/diluvian' title='diluvian'>diluvian</a>
<a href='/wiki/diluvium' title='diluvium'>diluvium</a>
<a href='/wiki/dissoluble' title='dissoluble'>dissoluble</a>
<a href='/wiki/dissolute' title='dissolute'>dissolute</a>
<a href='/wiki/dissolution' title='dissolution'>dissolution</a>
<a href='/wiki/dissolve' title='dissolve'>dissolve</a>
<a href='/wiki/dissolvent' title='dissolvent'>dissolvent</a>
<a href='/wiki/eluent' title='eluent'>eluent</a>
<a href='/wiki/elute' title='elute'>elute</a>
<a href='/wiki/elution' title='elution'>elution</a>
<a href='/wiki/exolve' title='exolve'>exolve</a>
<a href='/wiki/latrine' title='latrine'>latrine</a>
<a href='/wiki/launder' title='launder'>launder</a>
<a href='/wiki/laundry' title='laundry'>laundry</a>
<a href='/wiki/lustrum' title='lustrum'>lustrum</a>
<a href='/wiki/resolute' title='resolute'>resolute</a>
<a href='/wiki/resolution' title='resolution'>resolution</a>
<a href='/wiki/resolve' title='resolve'>resolve</a>
<a href='/wiki/solute' title='solute'>solute</a>
<a href='/wiki/solution' title='solution'>solution</a>
<a href='/wiki/solve' title='solve'>solve</a>
Translations
the act of washing or cleansing
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the water used in cleansing
Roman Catholic Church: a small quantity of wine and water
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
References
- Elliott K. Dobbie, C. William Dunmore, Robert K. Barnhart, et al. (editors), Chambers Dictionary of Etymology (Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2004 [1998], →ISBN), page 3
- “ablution” in Lesley Brown, editor-in-chief; William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, editors, The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 5th edition, Oxford; New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, 2002, →ISBN, page 5-6.
- ablution in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
French
Pronunciation
Audio (file)
Noun
ablution f (plural ablutions)
- (Western Christianity) Ritual rinsing of the priest's hand; ablution.
- (rare) A washing, especially ritual.
Usage notes
- The various other meanings of the word are usually only used in the plural.
Derived terms
Further reading
- “ablution” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
Anagrams
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