‖ balneum
(ˈbælniːəm)
[L.; = bath.]
1. A bath or bathing.
| 1652 French Yorksh. Spa iv. 45 Water is used..first by way of Balneum, or bathing the whole body. Ibid. 49 A cold Balneum. |
2. Alch., Chem., and Cookery. (Short for the fuller Balneum Mariæ, erron. Maris): = bain Marie. (The L. ablative balneo, occurring after ‘in,’ was occas. taken as the name of the vessel.)
| 1471 Ripley Comp. Alch. in Ashm. (1652) Ep. 116 Then in Balneo of Mary togeather let them be circulat. 1594 Plat Jewell-Ho. ii. 23 You must have a large Balneo wherein you may place sixe or eight glasse bodies at once. 1641 French Distill. i. (1651) 14 A Balneum as hot as ashes. Ibid. iv. 96 Digest them in a temperate Balneo. 1796 H. Glasse Cookery xxv. 378 Distil them in a glass still, balneum Mariæ. 1811 Hooper Med. Dict., Balneum Mariæ, Balneum Maris, a warm water bath. |