bathe
( bathes 3rd person present) ( bathing present participle) ( bathed past tense & past participle )
1 verb If you bathe in a sea, river, or lake, you swim, play, or wash yourself in it. Birds and animals can also bathe.
(mainly BRIT)
FORMAL The police have warned the city's inhabitants not to bathe in the polluted river. V prep/adv, Also V
Bathe is also a noun., n-sing usu a N
Fifty soldiers were taking an early morning bathe in a nearby lake.
♦
bathing n-uncount
Nude bathing is not allowed.
2 verb When you bathe, you have a bath.
(AM; also BRIT)
FORMAL
(=bath)
At least 60% of us now bathe or shower once a day. V
3 verb If you bathe someone, especially a child, you wash them in a bath.
(AM; also BRIT)
FORMAL
(=bath)
Back home, Shirley plays with, feeds and bathes the baby. V n
4 verb If you bathe a part of your body or a wound, you wash it gently or soak it in a liquid.
Bathe the infected area in a salt solution... V n
5 verb If a place is bathedin light, it is covered with light, especially a gentle, pleasant light.
The arena was bathed in warm sunshine... be V-ed in n
The lamp behind him seems to bathe him in warmth. V n in n, Also V n
bathing costume ( bathing costumes plural ) A bathing costume is a piece of clothing that is worn for swimming, especially by women and girls.
(BRIT)
OLD-FASHIONED n-count
(=swimsuit)
bathing suit ( bathing suits plural ) A bathing suit is a piece of clothing which people wear when they go swimming. n-count
(=swimsuit)
bathing trunks
Bathing trunks are shorts that a man wears when he goes swimming. n-plural
(=swimming trunks)