bath

bath — noun

1. a big tub in a bathroom that people use for washing by sitting or lying in water

1.nounA1
Definition

a big tub in a bathroom that people use for washing by sitting or lying in water

Example

The children left toy boats floating in the bath upstairs.

in the bath = in the bathtub

Our new flat has a deep bath beside the window.

collocation: deep bath

Common collocations
  • deep bath
  • empty bath
  • clean the bath
  • get into the bath
Synonyms
  • bathtub

    the most direct equivalent, especially in American English

  • tub

    shorter and less specific, because it can mean other large containers too

Grammar Patterns

in the bath

get into the bath

Usage Note

Usually names the tub itself. Distinguish from sense 2, which is the washing activity, and sense 4, which is American shorthand for a bathroom.

Common Mistakes

I sat in the bathroom for twenty minutes.
I sat in the bath for twenty minutes.
bath in this sense is the tub, not the whole room.

2. one occasion when you wash yourself, or wash another person, in a tub of water

2.nounA1
Definition

one occasion when you wash yourself, or wash another person, in a tub of water

Example

After football practice, Owen took a hot bath before dinner.

take a bath

The baby cried until Grandma gave him a bath.

give someone a bath

Common collocations
  • hot bath
  • warm bath
  • take a bath
  • have a bath
  • give the baby a bath
Synonyms
  • wash

    broader, because it can mean cleaning only part of the body

  • soak

    often stresses staying in water for comfort rather than simply getting clean

Grammar Patterns

have a bath

take a bath

give someone a bath

Usage Note

Common with have, take, and give. Distinguish from sense 1 when you mean the object, not the washing event.

Common Mistakes

I made a bath before bed.
I had a bath before bed.
have or take a bath is the usual pattern for the washing activity.

3. the water that has been prepared in a bathtub for someone to wash in

3.nounA2
Definition

the water that has been prepared in a bathtub for someone to wash in

Example

By eight o'clock, the bath was ready for the twins.

the bath = the bath water

Dad tested the bath with his elbow before calling Lior.

test the bath

Common collocations
  • run a bath
  • test the bath
  • the bath is ready
  • add hot water to the bath
Synonyms
  • bathwater

    a one-word form that names the water more directly

  • water

    much broader and only works when the bathing context is already clear

Grammar Patterns

run a bath

test the bath

the bath is ready

Usage Note

Often appears after run, test, or get into. This sense refers to the water after it has been prepared, not the tub itself.

4. in American descriptions of homes, a bathroom counted as one room or part of one

4.nounB1
Definition

in American descriptions of homes, a bathroom counted as one room or part of one

Example

The listing shows three bedrooms and two baths upstairs.

American real-estate use

Their guest bath is next to the front hall.

collocation: guest bath

Common collocations
  • guest bath
  • full bath
  • half bath
  • two-bath apartment
Synonyms
  • bathroom

    the full everyday word

  • washroom

    used in some regions, but less common in property listings

Grammar Patterns

two-bath apartment

full bath

half bath

Usage Note

Common in American property listings and floor plans. Distinguish from sense 1, which means the tub inside the room.

Common Mistakes

The house has two bathrooms and one half bathroom.
The house has two baths and one half bath.
housing descriptions often shorten bathroom to bath.

5. a container of liquid used in a process to soak, heat, cool, colour, or treat so

5.nounC1
Definition

a container of liquid used in a process to soak, heat, cool, colour, or treat something

Example

The ring sat in a chemical bath to remove old paint.

collocation: chemical bath

Workers cooled the glass in a bath of clear oil.

Common collocations
  • chemical bath
  • water bath
  • dye bath
  • oil bath
Synonyms
  • tank

    broader and does not by itself imply a treatment process

  • vessel

    more formal and often used in technical writing

Grammar Patterns

chemical bath

water bath

dye bath

Usage Note

Usually modified by a word naming the liquid or purpose, such as chemical, dye, oil, or water. This is a technical sense rather than an everyday home-use one.

Idioms

take a bath

idiom

To lose a large amount of money in a business deal or investment.

Maya took a bath on that real estate investment last year.

Did Diego take a bath when his company went bankrupt?

bath — verb

Word family

  • bathe
    verbB1
  • bathing
    nounB1
  • bather
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

For sense 2, bath means washing your whole body by sitting or lying in water. Shower is different because you stand while water falls over you. Wash is the broad word and can mean cleaning only your hands, face, or another part of the body, so it is less specific. Soak often suggests staying in warm water for comfort, pain relief, or relaxation rather than simply getting clean. In everyday English, have a bath and take a bath are both common. A child may take a bath before bed, a runner may soak after a race, and you wash your hands after cutting fruit.

bath ↗shower ↗wash ↗soak ↗

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishEnglish

Bath comes from Old English bath, from an older Germanic word for washing in water. It belongs to a very old family of everyday words about bathing, and it is closely related in meaning to bathe.