Middle English Dictionary Entry
bath n.
Entry Info
| Forms | bath n. Also beð, beað, (Orm.) baþþ & baathe. |
| Etymology | OE bæþ |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The action of taking a bath; an instance of such action, a bath; (b) the water, usually heated, in which one bathes, or a quantity of such water; maken ~, prepare a bath; ~ water.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.MQuad.(Hrl 6258B)4/9 : Gif hwa si on heafodwræce, æfter baðe smyre [etc.].
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)74 : Ne ys bote a beþ ine chald weter.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.1747 : She hadde bath, sche hadde reste.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)114b/b : Þai þat leueþ of bathes and chaungeþ not her cloþes.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.1080 : Hit is not straunge..An husbonde on his bath [vr. baathe] to be bithought..ffor therof may plesaunce and helthe arise.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)1667 : Bathes & bawmes sal þai..haue Als oft-sithes os þai wil craue.
- a1475 St.Mary Magd.(2) (Dur-U Cosin V.2.14)211 : The dwellers of that londe vsyd bathis and oynementys for the right gret heete of that londe.
b
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)35 : Ic walde..sitten..on snawe..and þa ȝet hit walð me þunchen þet softeste beð.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)107/19 : Me tempreð an baþ, ðat hit ne bie to hot ne to cold.
- c1300 SLeg.Bridget(1) (LdMisc 108)45 : A fat þare stod fol of baþewater.
- c1330(?a1300) Guy(2) (Auch)p.450 : Þe king dede make a baþe anon riȝt, For to baþe Gij.
- (c1380) Chaucer CT.SN.(Manly-Rickert)G.520 : For al the fyr and eek the bathes hete, She sat al coold.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.3801 : The bathes weren thanne araied, With herbes tempred.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)28b/a : To longe abidinge in suche a baþ febleþ þe puls.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)119a/a : Latte þe pacient goo into a bath on þe morne..be he enoyntede in the bathþe.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)193/12 : Then he ordeynyt a bath of warme watyr.
- a1450 MS Sln.2463 in EETS 102 (Sln 2463)224 n.6 : Yf he wexe riȝt hoot in þe bathth.
2.
A bathing place or room; specif. a Roman bath; a hot spring; hot bath, a hot (mineral) spring; bath-hous.
Associated quotations
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)2845 : King Bladud baðen [Otho: baþe] iwrohte þurh swiðe muchele ginne mid ane stæn cunne..þe he leide in ane walle stream.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)154 : Þat water of baþe..þat euere is iliche hot..Swiche baþes þer beþ fale in clos & in þe stret.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)3074 : Geans wule vette Þulke stones..to makie hor baþes þere..vor to baþie wanne hii sike were.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)683 : A baþ þai brouȝt rohand inne, A barbour was redi þare.
- ?1316 SMChron.(Roy 12.C.12)176 : Y shal telle..Hou hote bathe ymaked ys.
- (1363-4) in Hope Windsor C.1.208 : Le Bathous.
- (c1375) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3699 : Nero..in a bath made hym [Seneca] to blede.
- (c1380) Chaucer CT.SN.(Manly-Rickert)G.517 : In a bath they gonne hire faste shetten, And nyght and day greet fyr they vnder betten.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.203 : Þere beeþ Virgiles bathas.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.27 : Bladud..made..that cite of Caerbadon, now callede Bathe, in whom he made hoote bathes [L calida balnea].
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.484 : The bathes and the Stwes bothe Thei schetten.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)299a/b : Þe sowe..acounteþ baþes fenne and pluddes, and resteþ þer Inne.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)10322 : Bysyde hys wonyng..was a wasshyng yn an hote baþ.
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)76/11 : In hys tyme þe hote baþes shullen bicome colde.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)8.2680 : Hote bathes, wellis ther be founde..of metallis ful habounde.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.1118 : For bathis hoot, ammoniak is tolde Right good..in euery chynyng, clift, or slitte.
3.
(a) Bathing for the purpose of treating a patient; (b) a medicated bath; a medicinal lotion of external application; ~ of herbes, etc.; herb bath; drie ~, a desiccating lotion.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)29/24 : Þanne scealt þu hym helpan mid baþe.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)107a : Child þet hefde swuch uuel þet him bihofde beað [Nero: beð] of blod..muchel þe moder luuede hit þe walde þis beað [Nero: beð] him makien.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)38b/b : In declinacioun bene beste baþ [*Ch.(2): baþinge] & fomentacioun.
- ?c1450 Trivet Constance (Harv Eng.938)230 : Whan she was well strengthed..with good metes and drynkes, and well comforted with bathes.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)98b/a : He schal vse drye baþes [L balneis siccis] þat consumeþ..þe humours þat makeþ þese bleynes.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)11882 : Medicine sal þou of vs take, A nobul bath we sal þe make.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)244/23 : Sette him in a baþ of swete water.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)324/33 : Make þe patient a baþ of malue.
- c1400 St.Anne(1) (Min-U Z.822.N.81)1984 : A bath of erbes was made for yt.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)149b/b : Þe pacient be put in a baþ mollificatyue [*Ch.(2): softenyng bath; L balneo mollificatiuo].
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)110b/b : In batthes of alume.
- ?a1450 Macer (Stockh Med.10.91)89 : The rote of fenel soden in wyn..vsid as a bath to þe ȝerd.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)107/23 : Take walwort..and make a bath þer-of, and leye þe seke þeron all nakyd.
- a1500 Eglam.(Cmb Ff.2.38)527 : The kyng can dyȝt A bath for that nobylle knyght, Of ȝerbys that were fulle gode.
4.
(a) A spiritually purifying 'bath', such as baptism, communion, penance; fulluhtes ~, baptism; (b) bath of blisse, overflowing joy; (c) bath of pitch (of the damned).
Associated quotations
a
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)114/32 : Þa gædering bið hwit iworden þurh fulluhtes bæðe.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)18044 : To clennsenn..hemm Off alle þeȝȝre sinness Þurrh shriffte & þurrh dædbotess baþþ.
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)23 : Swa crist ha þe bitahte on þas fulhtes beðe.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)44/4 : Þet hit to me beo beað [vr. beð] of blisse & fulluht of font stan.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)107a : Þreo beaðes [Nero: beðes] he greiðede to his deore leofmon..þe earste beað is fulluht.
- a1425(a1349) Rolle MPass.(2) (Upps C.494)56/9 : Swete Ihesu, þennes wil I not flitte til I be with þi precious blode bicomen al rede..and my soule softe in þat swete baþe.
b
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.1253 : For ioye he hente hire in his armes two, His herte bathed in a bath of blisse.
- a1500 ?Burgh CG (Hrl 7333)41 : Syt downe, therfore, here in this bath of blisse!
c
- a1225(?c1175) PMor.(Lamb 487)218 : His bað [vrr. bæð, beað, behð] scal bon wallinde, his bað scab [read: scal] bon berninde glede.
- a1275 Þene latemeste dai (Trin-C B.14.39)73 : A domes-dai to a bittre bacþe we sule bo nakit..of piche wellinde imakit.
5.
Associated quotations
- a1475 Bk.Quint.(Sln 73)12/25,30 : Fier of þat bath hath no strenkþe to sublyme eyr, or fier, or erþe..take þe stillatorie, and putte it to þe fier of aischen, þat is strongere þan fier of bath clepid marien [F bain Marie].
- a1475 Bk.Quint.(Sln 73)13/4 : Þe bath of marien.
- a1500 *Of this matter (Ashm 759)f.128b : The fyrst is the water of lyf ardent, By bath to be departid that is most lent.
6.
The city or diocese of Bath in Somerset, so called from its natural hot springs [= sense 2.(a)]; -- orig. dat. pl. Bathe(n [OE baþum].
Associated quotations
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)21026 : Forð he wolde buȝen & Baðen al biliggen.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)21284 : To þan hulle þa ouer Baðen stondeð.
- a1300 Hundreds Engl.(Jes-O 29)145/21-2 : Þe Nyeþe [bishopric] on Baþun..Baþe wes Abbodryche.
- c1300 SLeg.Kenelm (LdMisc 108)56 : Þe bischopriche of baþe.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)152 : Þre wondres beþ in engelond..Þat water of baþe is þat on, þat euere is iliche hot.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.445 : A good wyf was ther of biside Bathe [rime: scathe].
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)10a : Bathe: ciuitas batonia.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1450 Rev.HWoman (Lngl 29)68/304 : Þay [devils] drew hyr in-to a grete blake watyr and þat semed as cold as eny yse…And þer-in pay [read: þay] kest hyr…and seyden, ‘Take the this bath for þy sleuth and þi glotony.’
Note: Note phrase taken .. ~ refl. No other exx. of this common modern Engl. phr. in MED entry. Belongs in 1.(a).
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. bath.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 3.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. dry bath.