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Abstersion

//æbˈstɜː.ʒn̩// noun

Definitions

Noun

1
Act of wiping clean; a cleansing; a purging. archaic, countable, uncountable
"Waverley ... was offered the patriarchal refreshment of a bath for the feet ... He was not, indeed, so luxuriously attended upon this occasion as the heroic travellers in the Odyssey; the task of ablution and abstersion being performed, not by a beautiful damsel, trained To chafe the limb, and pour the fragrant oil, but by a smoke-dried skinny old Highland woman, who did not seem to think herself much honoured by the duty imposed upon her..."

Etymology

From Middle English abstersioun, from either Old French or Medieval Latin abstertion, from Latin abstersus, past participle of abstergēo (“I wipe off or away”).

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