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.
-Â·gatÂ·ed, -Â·gatÂ·ing. to refresh by or as by watering. to supply (land) with water by means of ditches or artificial channels or by sprinklers. Med. to wash out or flush (a cavity, wound, etc.) with water or other fluid.