What is the Latin word for bathe?

The usual Latin words for “bathe” are lavō, abluō, tabella; also vultus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“bathe” in Latin

lavōto wash, bathe; to wet, moisten abluōto wash off, wash away, cleanse, purify; to remove darkness tabellasmall board, tablet, or table (for writing); small piece of wood, board, plank, tray, trough; plaque, placard, signboard vultusa facial expression, look, countenance; the front of the head, face; the face as involved in looking; the view, gaze

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

bathe v.

TR., lavare: abluere: aliquem lavare; aliquem demittere in balneum: in lukewarm water, aliquem immittere in tepidam. IMPR., to bathe with tears, lacrimis lavare aliquid (e.g., a letter, tabellas, Plaut., Pseud., 1, 1, 8: the face, vultum, Ov., Met., 9, 679). V. INTR., to bathe, or bathe one’s self, lavari: lavare (seldom, if ever, used by Cic.): in a shower bath: aqua perfundi (Vid: Auct. ad Her., 4, 9 and 10): in a river, flumine corpus abluere in cold water, frigida lavari: to be bathed in tears, effundi in lacrimas; lacrimis perfundi: bathed in tears, lacrimis perfusus: a bathing-place, locus, quo juventus lavandi et natandi causa venit (Vid: Cic., Cael., 15, 36): a bathing-dress, subligaculum; subligar: season for bathing, tempus aquarum usui commodum: bathing utensils, balnearia or balneatoria instrumenta (Marcianus, Dig., 33. 7, 17, §2): balnearia, ium, neuter. (Apuleius, Metamorphoses, 3, p. 134, 36): bathing-tub, labrum or solium: alveus.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for bathe?: The usual Latin words for “bathe” are lavō, abluō, tabella; also vultus. 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.