the.com/ablution
Washing up, but make it theological — soap with a side of salvation.
means A ritual washing of the body (or hands, or sacred objects) performed as part of a religious practice, rather than just getting clean.
from From Latin 'abluere' — 'ab-' (away) plus 'luere' (to wash, a cousin of 'lavare', which also gives us 'lavatory' and 'laundry'). It entered English in the 1300s–1400s through church Latin, carrying its ceremonial sense with it — this was never the word for scrubbing dishes, but for washing with spiritual intent, the kind that cleans the soul as a side effect of cleaning the skin.
- origin
- from latin abluere, to wash away
- religious use
- ritual cleansing before prayer in islam, hinduism, christianity
- plural flex
- often used plural, ablutions, for extra solemnity
- modern usage
- fancy word for just brushing your teeth