bathe

1 of 2

verb

ˈbāt͟h 

bathed; bathing

transitive verb

1

: moisten, wet

2

: to wash in a liquid (such as water)

3

: to apply water or a liquid medicament to

4

: to flow along the edge of : lave

5

: to suffuse with or as if with light

intransitive verb

1

: to take a bath

2

: to go swimming

3

: to become immersed or absorbed

bather

ˈbā-t͟hər 

noun

bathe

2 of 2

noun

1

British : bath entry 1 sense 1

2

British : swim, dip

Synonyms

Verb

• lap
• lave
• lip
• splash
• wash

Examples of bathe in a Sentence

Verb

the cool waters of the North Atlantic bathe the island's shores

bathe your contact lens with the solution before inserting them

Noun

We went for a bathe in the sea.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

For her birthday, just days before the premiere, the actress posted a lineup of bathing suit photos, including one heavily reminiscent of her iconic deep brown two-piece in From Dusk Till Dawn. —Rachel Raposas, People.com, 6 Jan. 2025

Many would also bathe in the Yamuna, hoping the river turtles didn't bite their toes. —Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 5 Jan. 2025

Delectable dough babies born to bathe in simple, sympathetic dipping sauces. —Randy Mason, Kansas City Star, 2 Jan. 2025

Meteors will blaze through the night, a total lunar eclipse will bathe the moon in a blood-red glow, and Saturn’s rings will apparently disappear. —Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English bathian; akin to Old English bæth bath

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1747, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

bathe

verb

ˈbāt͟h

bathed; bathing

1

: to take a bath

2

: to go swimming

3

: to give a bath to

bathe the baby

4

: to apply a liquid to

bathe the eyes

5

: to cover with or as if with a liquid

a scene bathed in moonlight

bather

ˈbā-t͟hər

noun

Medical Definition

bathe

1 of 2 verb

ˈbāt͟h 

bathed; bathing

transitive verb

1

: to wash in a liquid (as water)

2

: to apply water or a liquid medicament to

bathe the eye with warm water

intransitive verb

: to take a bath

bathe

2 of 2 noun

British

: the act or action of bathing : bath