LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
verbthird conjugation, no passive

abluō

abluō (present infinitive abluere, perfect active abluī, supine ablūtum)
Classical[ˈab.ɫu.oː]Ecclesiastical[ˈab.lu.o]
abluēns pres. act. ptcp.

Meaning

  1. to wash off, wash away, cleanse, purify
    ‘ablue praeteritī periūria temporis,’ inquit“Wash away the false oaths of time passed,” he says, “wash away the dishonest words of the day gone by.” (A merchant is praying at a spring, fountain, or well dedicated to Mercury (mythology).)8 CE, Ovidius, Fasti 5.681–682
  2. figurativelyto remove darkness

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Conjugation conjugation 3

active indicative
formpresentimperfectfutureperfectpluperfectfut. perfect
1st sg.abluōabluēbamabluamabluīablueramabluerō
2nd sg.abluisabluēbāsabluēsabluistīabluerāsablueris
3rd sg.abluitabluēbatabluetabluitablueratabluerit
1st pl.abluimusabluēbāmusabluēmusabluimusabluerāmusabluerimus
2nd pl.abluitisabluēbātisabluētisabluistisabluerātisablueritis
3rd pl.abluuntabluēbantabluentabluērunt
abluēre		abluerantabluerint
active subjunctive
active subjunctive
formpresentimperfectperfectpluperfect
1st sg.abluamablueremabluerimabluissem
2nd sg.abluāsabluerēsabluerīsabluissēs
3rd sg.abluatablueretablueritabluisset
1st pl.abluāmusabluerēmusabluerīmusabluissēmus
2nd pl.abluātisabluerētisabluerītisabluissētis
3rd pl.abluantabluerentabluerintabluissent
imperative
imperative
formactivepassive
pres. 2nd sg.ablue—
pres. 2nd pl.abluite—
fut. 2nd sg.abluitō—
fut. 3rd sg.abluitō—
fut. 2nd pl.abluitōte—
fut. 3rd pl.abluuntō—
infinitives & participles
formactivepassive
present infinitiveabluere—
perfect infinitiveabluisse—
future infinitiveablūtūrum esse—
present participleabluēns
abluente, abluentem, abluentēs, abluentī, abluentia, abluentibus, abluentis, abluentīs, abluentium		—
perfect participle—ablūta
ablūtā, ablūtae, ablūtam, ablūtārum, ablūtās, ablūte, ablūtī, ablūtīs, ablūtō, ablūtōrum, ablūtōs, ablūtus
future participleablūtūrus
ablūtūra, ablūtūrā, ablūtūrae, ablūtūram, ablūtūrārum, ablūtūrās, ablūtūre, ablūtūrī, ablūtūrīs, ablūtūrō, ablūtūrōrum, ablūtūrōs, ablūtūrum		—
gerundabluendī, abluendō, abluendumsupineablūtum, ablūtū

ab-lŭo, ŭi, ūtum, 3, v. a.,
I. to wash off or away, to wash, cleanse, purify.
I. Lit.: pulverem lymphis, Pac. ap. Gell. 2, 26, 13 (Trag. Rel. p. 108 Rib.): Ulixi pedes abluens, Cic. Tusc. 5, 16, 46: donec me flumine vivo abluero, Verg. A. 2, 719: abluendo cruori balneas petit, Tac. H. 3, 32.—Poet.: abluere sitim, to quench, Lucr. 4, 876; and: abluere sibi umbras, to remove darkness (by bringing a light), id. 4, 378.—Of the washing away of earth by a shower, Varr. R. R. 1, 35.—In eccl. Lat., of baptism: munere divinitatis abluti, Cod. Th. 19, 6, 4.—
II. Trop., of calming the passions: omnis ejusmodi perturbatio animi placatione abluatur, be removed (fig. derived from the religious rite of washing in expiation of sin), Cic. Tusc. 4, 28, 60: maculam veteris industriae laudabili otio, to wash out, Plin. Ep. 3, 7, 3: perjuria, Ov. F. 5, 681 al.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ep
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂epó
  3. Proto-Italic*ap
  4. Latinabluō

Latin ab- Proto-Indo-European *lewh₃-der. Proto-Italic *lowō Latin lavō Latin abluō From ab- (“from, away from”) + lavō (“to wash, cleanse”).

Descendants
  • Catalanabluir
  • Frenchabluer
  • Portugueseabluir

Quick answers

What does abluō mean in Latin?
abluō, a verb, means “to wash off, wash away, cleanse, purify; to remove darkness”.
What are the principal parts of abluō?
abluō, abluere, abluī, ablūtum (third conjugation, no passive).
How do you pronounce abluō?
In classical Latin, [ˈab.ɫu.oː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈab.lu.o].
Where does abluō come from?
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep → Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó → Proto-Italic *ap → Latin abluō.