balneal

American  

[bal-nee-uhl] / ˈbæl ni əl /

adjective

1. of or relating to baths or bathing.

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balneal British  

/ ˈbælnɪəl, ˈbælnɪərɪ /

adjective

1. rare of or relating to baths or bathing

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Etymology

Origin of balneal

1635–45; < Latin balne ( um ) (< Greek balaneîon bathing room, bath) + -al ¹

Explanation

If you're about to take a bath, you'll need to get your balneal supplies ready, such as a washcloth or loofah, a towel, some soap or body wash, and maybe some shampoo. Or a scented candle. Balneal is a pretty technical word, so it's a bit highfalutin to use in a conversation about taking a bath! More often, it would be used in a medical context to talk about, for example, "balneal procedures" to be followed with patients. Or it might be used in a historical context to discuss the "balneal customs" of ancient Rome, where communal bathing in bathhouses was a big deal. The word balneal comes from Latin balneum, meaning — no surprises here — "bath."

Example Sentences

Everything that balneal ingenuity could suggest had been done, and in case the internal cure was not nasty enough as it was, the first glass of water was prescribed for six o’clock in the morning.

From The Early Life and Adventures of Sylvia Scarlett by MacKenzie, Compton

There are several representations of sponges given in the balneal feasts depicted on various Etruscan vases; and the sponge has been found in a perfect state in a Roman barrow at Bartlow Hills.

From Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Volume 1, No. 3, August, 1850. by Various