a prefix, occurring orig. in loanwords from Latin, meaning âbefore, in front of,â âprior to, in advance of,â âsurpassingâ (predict; preeminent; preface; premaxilla); in English, esp. productive in forming verbs that specify an activity taking place before or instead of the usual occurrence of the same activity (preboard; precook; prepay), or in ...
1: a washing or soaking (as in water) of all or part of the bodyâsee mud bath, sitz bath. 2a: water used for bathingb (1): a medium for regulating the temperature of something placed in or on it (2): a vessel containing this medium.
verb (used with object) 1. to apply water or some other liquid to (something or someone) for the purpose of cleansing; cleanse by dipping, rubbing, or scrubbing in water or some other liquid. 2. to remove (dirt, stains, paint, or any matter) by or as by the action of water (usually followed by out, off, etc.): to wash grime out of clothing.