lavabo means A ritual involving the washing of one's hands at a church's offertory before handling the Eucharist.
lavabo is pronounced /ləˈveɪbəʊ/.
Why “lavabo” is a great word
A washbasin, specifically the one in a church used for the ritual washing of the priest's hands before the Eucharist. From the Latin lavābō ("I will wash"), the first word of Psalm 26:6 recited during the ritual; the sense of 'washbasin' and later 'room with a toilet' developed under the influence of lavatory and lav. Unlike an évier, which denotes a purely functional kitchen sink, or a lavatory, which now primarily means a room for ablutions, a lavabo retains its vestige of sacred ritual. It is the quiet gleam of a silver basin, the gentle pour of water over a minister's fingers, and the faint scent of clean linen drying by the sacristy wall—a small vessel that holds, however fleetingly, the distinction between the mundane act of cleaning and the solemn preparation for a sacrament.
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.
noun
- A ritual involving the washing of one's hands at a church's offertory before handling the Eucharist.
- The small towel used to dry the priest's hands following the ritual.e.g.“These small liturgical towels got […] the name of Lavabo cloths or Lavaboes.”
- A washbasin, particularly (Christianity) the one in a church used in the ritual.e.g.“[…] the […] pontiff, as he […] moved his hands […] at the Lavabo, or at the various benedictions […]”
- A trough used for washing at some medieval monasteries.
- A lavatory: a room used for urination and defecation.e.g.“Mr. Pond fussed out and she heard the door of the little lavabo in the passage open with a loud creak.”
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- aspersorium 83% match — A basin that holds holy water with which worshippers sprinkle themselves. vs lavabo →
- aquamanile 81% match — A ewer or jug-like vessel, shaped like an animal or human figure, used for washing the hands. vs lavabo →
- ablution 81% match — The act of washing something.; Originally, the purifying of oils and other substances by emulsification with hot water; now more generally, a thorough cleansing of a precipitate or other non-dissolved substance. vs lavabo →
- footwashing 81% match — The washing of a person's feet. vs lavabo →
- offertory 81% match — A prayer said or sung as an anthem while offerings of bread and wine are placed on the altar during the Roman Catholic Mass or the Anglican Communion service. vs lavabo →
- sacramentary 80% match — An ancient book of the Roman Catholic Church, containing the rites for Mass, the sacraments, etc. vs lavabo →
- sacrament 80% match — A sacred act and the attendant ceremony, considered (theology) an outward sign of divine grace, instituted by Jesus Christ. vs lavabo →
- ostensory 80% match — monstrance vs lavabo →