ablution

English

Etymology

From Middle French ablucion, ablution, and its source, Late Latin ablutio (“washing, cleansing, ablution”), from the stem of Latin abluō (“I wash away”).

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -uːʃən

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

ablution (plural ablutions)

1. (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. [from 15th c.]
2. The act of washing or cleansing the body, or some part of it, as a religious rite. [from 16th c.]
3. (Western Christianity) The rinsing of the priest's hand 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.]
4. (literary or humorous, usually in the plural) Washing oneself; bathing, cleaning oneself up. [from 17th c.]
   • 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.

5. The water used in cleansing. [from 17th c.]
   • Alexander Pope

     Cast the ablutions in the main.

6. (Orthodox Christianity) The ritual consumption by the deacon or priest of leftover sacred wine of host after the Communion.

Related terms

• abluent
• ablute

Translations

the act of washing or cleansing

Bulgarian: промивка (bg) Chinese: Mandarin: 沐浴 (zh) Finnish: peseytyminen (fi) Irish: ionladh (ga) m. Italian: abluzione (it) f.

Latin: ablūtiō (la) f. Russian: омовение (ru) n. Spanish: ablución (es) f.

the water used in cleansing

Finnish: pesuvesi (fi)

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 Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

Albanian: avdes Spanish: ablución f. Vietnamese: lễ rửa tội, lễ tắm gội, lễ rửa sạch các đồ thờ, nước tắm gội, nước rửa đồ thờ, sự tắm gội, sự rửa ráy

Anagrams

• abutilon

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French

Noun

ablution f. (plural ablutions)

1. (Western Christianity) Ritual rinsing of the priest's hand; ablution.
2. (rare) A washing, especially ritual.

Usage notes

• The various other meanings of the word are usually only used in the plural.

Derived terms

• ablutions

References

• ablution in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

Anagrams

• oubliant