ablution

****************************************************************
Introducing WORD SWEEP!, the first board game to feature Merriam-Webster 
definitions! Enjoy hours of challenging fun. Try it at:
http://www.wordsweep.com 
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for March 19 is: 

ablution   \uh-BLOO-shun\   noun
     *1 a : the washing of one?s body or part of it (as in a religious rite)  b 
plural : the act or action of bathing 
     2 plural, British : a building housing bathing and toilet facilities on a 
military base 

Example sentence: 
     The river that flowed past the campsite had a secluded nook where we could 
take care of our ablutions in privacy.

Did you know?
     "Ablution" derives via Middle French and Middle English from the Latin 
verb "abluere," meaning "to wash away," formed from the prefix "ab-" ("away, 
off") and "lavere" ("to wash"). Early uses of the word occurred in contexts of 
alchemy and chemistry. It was first used of washing as a religious rite by 
Thomas More in _The Apologye Made by Hym_ (1533). Many religions include some 
kind of washing of the body in their rituals, usually as a form of purification 
or dedication. The use of the term to refer to the action of washing one's body 
without any religious significance did not take hold in English until the 
mid-18th century. 

*Indicates the sense illustrated by the example sentence.






You Are Subscribed As: gclw-mw-wod7@xxxxxxxxx
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2007 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102