Bath the City Gave Its Name to Bath Buns and Bath Stone
A bath is a container for washing, or the act of washing. The English city named after its Roman baths lent its name onward.
A bath is a large container for washing the body, or the act of washing in one. The English city of Bath is named after its Roman baths, built around the only hot springs in Britain, and the city's name then attached itself to other things: *Bath stone*, the honey-coloured limestone the city is built from, *Bath bun*, a sweet enriched bread, and *Bath Oliver*, a plain biscuit invented there by a physician. *Bath* and *bathe* differ: you take a bath but bathe a wound.
- A washing container. *Run a bath.*
- To wash in one. *Bathe.*
- Bath stone — a limestone. *Bath stone.*
- Bath bun — a sweet bread. *A Bath bun.*
- Old English — *bæth*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | bath | A bath. |
| Plural | baths | Baths. |
| Verb | bathe | Bathe. |
| Compound | bathroom | A bathroom. |
| Old English | bæth | A bath. |
- She ran a hot bath.Washing.
- The city is built of Bath stone.Material.
- Bathe the wound gently.Verb.
Things named after the city
- Bath stone — the golden limestone of the buildings
- Bath bun — a rich sweet bread with sugar on top
- Bath Oliver — a plain biscuit created by Dr William Oliver
- Bath chair — a wheeled invalid chair used at the spa
- Order of the Bath — a British order of chivalry
Old English *bæth*, of Germanic origin, related to German *Bad*.
Why is the city called Bath?
After the Roman baths built there around Britain's only hot springs. The Romans called it Aquae Sulis.
Bath or bathe?
In British English you take a bath and bathe a wound. American English uses bathe for washing oneself too.