ab·lu·tion

(ə-blo͞o′shən, ă-blo͞o′-)

1. A washing or cleansing of the body, especially as part of a religious rite.

2. The liquid so used.

[Middle English ablucioun, from Latin ablūtiō, ablūtiōn-, from ablūtus, past participle of abluere, to wash away : ab-, away; see ab-¹ + -luere, to wash; see leu(ə)- in Indo-European roots.]

ab·lu′tion·ar′y (-shə-nĕr′ē) adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Adj.

ablutionary - cleansing the body by washing; especially ritual washing of e.g. hands; "ablutionary rituals"

cleansing

purifying - freeing from noxious matter; "filtration is a purifying agent"

Mentioned in

cleansing

References in periodicals archive

So I still see a few people, having consumed a hot cup of coffee, tuck the newspaper under the armpit, and off they go to sit on the hot seat and chew on those pages before emerging from their ablutionary exertions.

The newspaper is an immortal emotion

He faults IEQ for not contextualizing the relationship of ablutionary acts in attitudes towards bodies (p.

A response to Andrew Rippin's review of The Integrated Encyclopedia of Qur'an

There is no consideration of why ablutionary acts are isolated or what the implications might be for attitudes toward them and toward bodies in general (other than as a symbolic act of "inner purity").

Integrated Encyclopedia of the Qur'an, vol. 1: Allah, Ahmad, A--Beautiful Names of Allah

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