bath

bath

I. bath¹ S2 W3 /bɑːθ $ bæθ/ BrE AmE noun (plural baths /bɑːðz, bɑːθs $ bæðz, bæθs/) [countable]
[Language: Old English; Origin: bæth]
1. if you take a bath, you wash your body in a bath:
After a week of camping, I really needed a bath.
have a bath British English take a bath American English:
I’ll have a bath and go to bed.
How often do you take a bath?
I’ll give the children their bath (=wash them in a bath).
2. British English a large long container that you fill with water and sit or lie in to wash yourself SYN bathtub American English
3. water that you sit or lie in to wash yourself:
a hot bath
She ran a bath (=put water into a bath).
4. a bathroom, used especially in advertising:
All our luxury bedrooms have a private bath.
5. a container full of liquid in which something is placed for a particular purpose
bath of
Plunge the fabric into a bath of black dye.
6. baths [plural]
a) British English old-fashioned a public building in which there is a swimming pool
b) a public building where people could go in the past to wash themselves:
the Roman baths at Cirencester
7. take a bath American English informal to lose money, especially in a business deal:
We took a bath in the market over that stock.
⇨ ↑birdbath, ↑bubble bath, ⇨ throw the baby out with the bath water at ↑throw¹(37)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ have a bath especially British English, take a bath especially American English She usually has a bath in the evening.
▪ give somebody a bath He's upstairs giving the baby a bath.
▪ get in/into/out of the bath I had to get out of the bath to answer the phone.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + bath
▪ a quick bath It's easier to take a shower than a quick bath.
▪ a long bath A long hot bath is a great way of relaxing.
▪ a hot/warm/cool bath Why don't you have a nice warm bath?
▪ a bubble bath (=with nice-smelling bubbles in it) She likes to destress by taking a bubble bath.
■ bath + NOUN
▪ bath time (=the time when someone, usually a child, has a bath) Come on, Lucy, it's bath time.
▪ bath taps British English The water coming out of the bath taps was freezing cold.
▪ a bath towel She handed him a soft white bath towel.
▪ a bath mat (=small rug on the floor by the bath) The bath mat was soaking wet.
▪ bath water The bath water is getting cold.
▪ bath salts/crystals (=a substance that you put in a bath to make it smell nice) She bought me some lavender bath salts.
▪ bath toy (=for a child to play with in the bath) Bath toys are great for babies who've just learned to sit.