ENGLISH
REFERENCE

abdest

n.
C1 Advanced ab·dest

n. a ritual washing that Muslims perform before praying. It involves washing your hands, face, arms, and feet to be clean.

n. a ritual purification involving the washing of specific body parts, performed by Muslims before engaging in prayer or handling sacred texts.


SIMPLE

He performed abdest before entering the mosque.

CONTEXTUAL

The traveler stopped at a local well to perform abdest and prepare for the evening prayer.

COMPLEX

In many traditional communities, the act of abdest is not merely a physical ritual but a moment of spiritual reflection and preparation for communal worship.

Origin

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish آبدست (modern Turkish abdest), from Classical Persian آبْدَسْت (ābdast), compound of آب (āb, “water”) and دست (dast, “hand”).

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