bath

noun, verb

(plural baths ) 1 [C] (BrE) (also bathtub, informal tub AmE, BrE) a large, long container that you put water in and then get into to wash your whole body 2 [C] (BrE) the water in a bath, ready to use: a long soak in a hot bath * Please run a bath for me (= fill the bath with water). 3 [C] an act of washing your whole body by sitting or lying in water: I think I'll have a bath and go to bed. * (especially AmE) to take a bath seealsoBUBBLEBATH 4 (baths) [pl.] (old-fashioned, BrE) a public building where you can go to swim: My father took me to the baths every Sunday. seealsoSWIMMINGBATH, SWIMMINGPOOL 5 [C,usually pl.] a public place where people went in the past to wash or have a bath: Roman villas and baths seealsoTURKISHBATH 6 [C] (technical) a container with a liquid such as water or a DYE in it, in which sth is washed or placed for a period of time. Baths are used in industrial, chemical and medical processes. seealsoBLOODBATH IDIOMS take a bath (AmE) to lose money on a business agreement verb (BrE) (AmE bathe) 1 [VN] to give a bath to sb: It's your turn to bath the baby. 2 [V] (old-fashioned) to have a bath ______________________________ WHICHWORD? bath / bathe / swim / sunbathe When you wash yourself you can say that you bath (BrE) or bathe (AmE), but it is much more common to say have a bath (BrE)or take a bath (AmE). You can also bath (BrE)or bathe (AmE) another person, for example a baby. You bathe a part of your body, especially to clean a wound. When you go swimming it is old-fashioned to say that you bathe, and you cannot say that you bath or take a bath. It is more common to swim, go for a swim, have a swim or go swimming: Let's go for a quick swim in the pool. * She goes swimming every morning before breakfast. What you wear for this activity is usually called a swimming costume in BrE and a bathing suit in AmE. When you lie in the sun in order to go brown you sunbathe. They spent the day sunbathing and swimming. _t_a_k_e_ _a_ _s_u_n_b_a_t_h_. ______________________________