ablutions (usually plural)
noun

- the act of washing yourself

- the washing of one’s body or part of it (as in a religious rite)

- a washing or a cleaning of oneself, for personal hygiene, or a ritual washing or cleaning associated with religious observance

Cambridge Dictionary / Merriam-Webster / Vocabulary dot com

—
ORIGIN

“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 the contexts of alchemy and chemistry. The first known use of ablution to refer to washing as a religious rite occurs in Thomas More’s 'The Apologye Made by Hym' (1533).

Many religions include some kind of body washing in their rituals, usually as a form of purification or dedication. The use of ablutions 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.

In British English, ablutions can also refer to a building with bathing and toilet facilities on a military base.

—
CREATIVE ABLUTIONS

Beethoven often dipped his head in cold water before composing. He also regularly poured water upon his hands, whereupon he would walk around the room for some time before sitting at his table to write.

No one dared to disturb Beethoven’s meditative ABLUTIONS. His hosts, however, were often annoyed to find water dripping through their ceilings from the floor above.

Beethoven, Ludwig van (1770-1827), German composer noted for his prodigious output, including two masses, two ballets, the opera Fidelio, nine symphonies, five piano concertos, a violin concerto, thirty-two piano sonatas, ten sonatas for violin and piano, and seventeen string quartets.

—
SYNONYMS
a room, building, or cubicle containing a toilet or toilets

amenities, bathroom, bog, can, chamber pot, closet of ease, comfort room, comfort station, commode, conveniences, crapper, earth closet, facilities, gentlemen’s room, Gents, girls’ room, half bathroom, honey bucket, jakes, john, johnny, khazi, ladies’ room, latrine, lav, lavatory, little boys’ room, little girls’ room, men’s room, necessary house, powder closet/room, privy, public convenience, public lavatory, public toilet, rest room, throne, thunderbox, W.C., women’s room

—
SMUGGLE OWAD into a conversation today, say something like:

“Like Beethoven, some people get their best ideas whilst doing daily ABLUTIONS.”

—
HERZLICHEN DANK to all readers helping me keep OWAD alive with single or monthly donations at:

https://donorbox.org/please-become-a-friend-of-owad-3

and,

Paul Smith, IBAN: DE75 7316 0000 0002 5477 40