Lavabo
/ləˈvɑːboʊ/noun
A washbasin, especially one used in a church or formerly in a monastery.
Did you know?In the Roman Mass, the lavabo names the priest’s hand-washing rite, traditionally accompanied by Psalm 26:6: “I will wash my hands in innocence.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*lewH-
“To wash or cleanse; a reconstructed ancestral root.”
Classical Latin
Latin
lavāre
“To wash.”
Biblical Latin
Latin
lavabo
““I shall wash,” the first-person future form of lavāre, appearing in the Latin liturgy.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
lavabo
“A vessel or basin associated with the priest’s ritual hand-washing.”
14th Century
English
lavabo
“A basin or vessel used for washing, especially in a church or monastery.”
Modern English
English
lavabo
“A washbasin, particularly a traditional or ecclesiastical one.”