What is the Latin word for bath?

The usual Latin words for “bath” are balneum, balineum, lavātiō; also lōtiō, lavō, calidus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“bath” in Latin

balneumbath, bathing place, bathroom balineumPlautine and later archaic form of balneum lavātiōa washing, bathing (action); bath (apparatus or place)lōtiōwash, washing lavōto wash, bathe; to wet, moisten caliduswarm, hot; fiery, fierce, vehement; spirited, impassioned frīgidāriusof or related to cold water or cooling

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

bath

place for bathing: balineum or balneum, plur. balineae or balneae, seldom (with Cic. never) balinea or balnea: the plur. is used when the bathing place consists of several rooms, and therefore more particularly applies to public baths. The divisions of the balinea were: cella frigidaria, or frigidarium, for cold bathing; cella tepidaria, or tepidarium, where the water was lukewarm; cella caldaria, or caldarium, for a warm bath; sudatorium, or sudatio, or assa, orum, neuter, a sweating-room heated by steam: balnearia, orum, neuter (private bathing-places in gardens and villas, Cic., Att., 13, 29, 2; Cic., Quint., Fr., 3, 1, 1, § 1): thermae (magnificent public edifices erected by the emperors, in which were the balneae, fencing-rooms, and walks): lavatio (o place for bathing: in later times, lavacrum): to heat the bath, balineum calefacere: to take a bath, lavatum ire in balneas; in balneum ire, ambulare: to take a cold bath, ad frigidam exire; frigida lavari: to take a vapor-bath, ad flammam sudare (Suet., Oct., 82).

Bathing: lavatio; lotio; lotus, usus aquarum (as a means of health): lavatio frigida, calida; lavatio frigidae, calidae aquae: to get ready for the bath, balineo praeparari.

A bath-keeper, balneator; balneatrix (Petronius, Senv. Verg., Aen., 12, 159).

Bath

Aquae Solis

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for bath?: The usual Latin words for “bath” are balneum, balineum, lavātiō; also lōtiō, lavō, calidus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.