English
ablution
Pronunciation
  • (RP) IPA: /əˈbluː.ʃn̩/
  • (America) IPA: /əˈblu.ʃn̩/
Noun

ablution

  1. The act of washing something.
    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. [First attested from around 1350 to 1470.]
    2. The act of washing or cleansing the body, or some part of it, as a religious rite. [From mid 16th century.]
    3. (literary or humorous, usually, in the plural) Washing oneself; bathing, cleaning oneself up. [From mid 18th century.]
    4. (Western Christianity) The rinsing of the priest's hand and the sacred vessel 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.]
  2. The liquid used in the cleansing or ablution. [From early 18th century.]
  3. (Eastern Orthodoxy) The ritual consumption by the deacon or priest of leftover sacred wine of host after the Communion.
  4. (pluralonly, UK, military) The location or building where the showers and basins are located. [From mid 20th century.]
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