lavabo
/ləˈveɪbəʊ/
"lavabo" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“lavabo” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 6
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A ritual involving the washing of one's hands at a church's offertory before handling the Eucharist.
Corpus desk
Index EN-lavabo · lavabo · English
lavabo · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 6 letters
- VOW-3 3 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "L" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | lavabo |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ləˈveɪbəʊ/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “lavabo” in English
Rare enough to double-check
lavabo is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ləˈveɪbəʊ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for lavabo, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: From the Christian ritual, which was traditionally accompanied in Catholicism by a recitation of Psalm 25:6 (Psalm 26:6, in the Hebrew and in most modern translations) which in Latin begins with the word lavābō (“I will wash”). The sense of "room with a toi… The correct English form is lavabo, spelled L-A-V-A-B-O.
Definition
- 1A ritual involving the washing of one's hands at a church's offertory before handling the Eucharist.
- 2The small towel used to dry the priest's hands following the ritual.
- 3A washbasin, particularly (Christianity) the one in a church used in the ritual.
- 4A trough used for washing at some medieval monasteries.
- 5A lavatory: a room used for urination and defecation.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how lavabo appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
These small liturgical towels got […] the name of Lavabo cloths or Lavaboes.
[…] the […] pontiff, as he […] moved his hands […] at the Lavabo, or at the various benedictions […]
Etymology
From the Christian ritual, which was traditionally accompanied in Catholicism by a recitation of Psalm 25:6 (Psalm 26:6, in the Hebrew and in most modern translations) which in Latin begins with the word lavābō (“I will wash”). The sense of "room with a toilet" developed under the influence of lavatory and lav.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.