Piscina
/pɪˈsiːnə/noun
A basin, especially one used in a church for washing sacred vessels, or a swimming pool.
Did you know?In medieval churches, a piscina was often built into the wall beside an altar, with a drain leading into consecrated ground for disposing of water used in sacred rituals.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pisk-
“Fish”
Ancient Latin
Latin
piscis
“Fish”
Classical Latin
Latin
piscina
“Fishpond or pool for keeping fish”
Late Latin
Latin
piscina
“Basin or pool, including a ritual washing basin”
Middle English
English
piscine
“A church basin or drain near an altar”
Modern English
English
piscina
“A church basin or swimming pool”