Bathtub
/ˈbætˌθʌb/noun
A large container for bathing in.
Did you know?Bathtub is a straightforward compound of bat and tub, and the word tub itself goes back to Old English, showing how English often makes new objects by stacking old, everyday words together.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
tub
“A tub or wooden vessel for holding liquids or washing”
Middle English
ME
bathe
“To wash or immerse in water”
Early Modern English
English
bath-tub
“A tub for bathing”
18th–19th Century
English
bathtub
“A fixed container for bathing, increasingly made of metal or porcelain”
Modern English
English
bathtub
“A large container for bathing in”