bathwater
UK[ˈbɑːθˌwɔːtə]US[ˈbæθˌwɔːtər]
n
the water in a bath, especially when it is dirty after someone has washed in it
Morpheme Breakdown
bath
water
bath
water
Etymology
the word 'bathwater' is a transparent english compound, formed by directly combining two old english nouns. 'bath' originates from the proto-germanic 'baþą', related to the act of warming or soaking, while 'water' stems from the proto-germanic 'watōr', with a deep proto-indo-european root 'wódr̥'. the compound's logic is purely descriptive, literally meaning 'the water for or from a bath'. its modern, specific meaning—often implying used or dirty water—arose naturally from this literal sense through common usage, famously crystallized in the idiomatic warning 'to throw the baby out with the bathwater'.
Analysis
Structure: bath + water
bath (from old english 'bæþ', meaning an act of washing or immersing the body in water) + water (from old english 'wæter', meaning the clear liquid essential for life)
Examples
be careful not to slip on the bathwater spilled on the floor.
after the children finished playing, the bathwater was full of toys.
the proverb warns against discarding the essential when getting rid of the useless, like throwing the baby out with the bathwater.