The act or water of washing, whether physical bathing or ceremonial cleansing. Paul uses it metaphorically in Ephesians 5:26 for Christ's purifying work through 'the washing of water with the word.' Titus 3:5 speaks of 'the washing of regeneration'—baptism as the sign of new birth. Classical Greek used it for bathhouses, bathing establishments, bathwater, or the act of bathing itself. Ancient contexts included the ritual conveying of water for a bride's prenuptial bath.