[ad. L. ablūtiōn-em, n. of action from ab-luĕre to wash off.]
1. The act or process of washing clean.
† a. In early usage in alchemy and chemistry, the purification of bodies by the use of suitable liquids.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Chan. Yem. Prol., 303. Oyles ablucioun, and metal fusible.
1477. Norton, Ordin. Alch. (1652), v. 59. Water clenseth with ablution blive.
1594. Plat, Jewell-house, II. 40. A soft or slimie substance, which you may after cleanse by ablution.
1610. B. Jonson, Alchemist, II. v. 632 (1616). The martyrizations Of mettalls, in the worke … Putrefaction, Solution, Ablution, Sublimation, etc.
1612. Woodall, Surgeon’s Mate (Wks. 1653), 268. Ablution is exaltation, cleansing unclean things by often infusion.
1754. Huxham, Antimony, in Phil. Trans., XLVIII. 853. Great care should be taken therefore in the ablution of the sulphur auratum.
† b. ‘The rinsing of chymical preparations in water, to dissolve and wash away any acrimonious particles.’ J. Obs.
1751. Chambers, Cycl., Ablution is sometimes used … for the washing or infusing certain medicines in water to freshen them, and dissolve their salts; otherwise called dulcifying.
c. The washing of the body as a religious rite.
1533. More, Apology, viii. (Wks. 1557), 861/1. Obedience on the mannes part in submytting hymselfe to that ablucion [baptism].
1781. Cowper, Conversation, 566. A Jordan for the ablution of our woes.
1786. Burke, Art. agst. Hastings, Wks. II. 442. The Rajah desired leave to perform his ablutions.
1827. J. Townley, Reasons Laws of Moses, 352, note. Ablutions appear to have been amongst the oldest ceremonies practised by different nations.
1856. Stanley, Sinai & Pal., vii. 306. Ablutions, in the East, have always been more or less a part of religious worship.
By extension (later, not in Chambers 1751):—
d. The washing or cleansing of one’s person.
1748. Smollett, Rod. Rand., lxiv. 466 (1804). Having performed the ceremony of ablution I shifted.
1835. Thirlwall, Greece, I. vi. 179. An ablution … uniformly preceded the repast.
1859. Jephson, Brittany, iv. 38. I made up for the necessarily scanty ablutions of the morning.
e. In Rom. and Angl. Churches: the washing of chalice and paten after the celebration. In Rom. Ch., the washing of the priest’s hands before assuming the sacred vestments, and during the celebration.
2. The water, etc., with which anything has been washed; spec. in Catholic Ritual, the wine and water used to rinse the chalice, and wash the fingers of the celebrant after the communion.
1718. Pope, Iliad, I. 413. Wash’d by the briny wave, the pious train Are cleansed, and cast the ablutions in the main.
1846. Maskell, Mon. Rit. Eccl. Ang., I. 239. The ablution in other instances, if not cast into the fire, was to be carried into the sacrarium, doubtless in order to be thrown away through the piscina.
1866. Lee, Direct. Anglic. (ed. 3), 351. The wine poured into the chalice and also the wine and water poured into the same and over the priest’s fingers … is drunk by the celebrant and called the ablution.
† b. A lotion. Obs.
1671. Salmon, Syn. Medic., III. lxxxiv. 733. Cured by washing with the ablution of Turpethum Minerale.
