English▸ (ablutions) noun formal, or humorous an act of washing oneself:
the women performed their ablutions.
▪ a ceremonial act of washing parts of the body or sacred containers.
▪ (the ablutions) British English (in army slang) a building or room containing washing facilities and toilets.
– ORIGIN late Middle English: from Latin ablutio(n-), from abluere, from ab- ‘away’ + luere ‘wash’. The original use was as a term in chemistry and alchemy meaning ‘purification by using liquids’, hence ‘purification of the body by washing’ (mid 16th century).