ablution (n.)

"ritual washing," late 14c., from Latin ablutionem (nominative ablutio) "a washing, cleansing," noun of action from past-participle stem of abluere "to wash off, wash away, cleanse by washing," from ab "off, away from" (see ab-) + luere "to wash," from PIE root *leue- "to wash."

Entries linking to ablution

ab-

word-forming element meaning "away, from, from off, down," denoting disjunction, separation, departure; from Latin ab (prep.) "off, away from" in reference to space or distance, also of time, from PIE root *apo- "off, away" (also the source of Greek apo "off, away from, from," Sanskrit apa "away from," Gothic af, English of, off; see apo-).

The Latin word also denoted "agency by; source, origin; relation to, in consequence of." Since classical times usually reduced to a- before -m-, -p-, or -v-; typically abs- before -c-, -q-, or -t-.

*leue-

*leuə-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to wash."

It forms all or part of: ablution; alluvium; deluge; dilute; elution; lather; latrine; launder; lautitious; lavage; lavation; lavatory; lave; lavish; lotion; lye.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Greek louein "to wash, bathe;" Latin lavare "to wash," luere "to wash;" Old Irish loathar "basin," Breton laouer "trough;" Old English leaþor "lather," læg "lye."

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Definitions of ablution

ablution (n.)

the ritual washing of a priest's hands or of sacred vessels;

From wordnet.princeton.edu

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