# lavabo

> English word · Noun · IPA /ləˈveɪbəʊ/

## Definitions
1. A ritual involving the washing of one's hands at a church's offertory before handling the Eucharist.
2. The small towel used to dry the priest's hands following the ritual.
3. A washbasin, particularly (Christianity) the one in a church used in the ritual.
4. A trough used for washing at some medieval monasteries.
5. A lavatory: a room used for urination and defecation.

## 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.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/lavabo