water in a bathtub before, during, or after someone has taken a bath
After her toddler finished playing, the bathwater was full of floating rubber ducks and soap bubbles.
He dipped his elbow into the bathwater to make sure it wasn’t too hot before stepping in.
✦ Formed by combining the nouns “bath” and “water,” attested in English since the late 17th century to describe the water used for bathing.
