In Islamic tradition, the ritual washing of the face, hands, and feet performed before prayer as a form of purification.
From Turkish 'abdest', derived from Arabic 'wuḍū', which comes from the root meaning 'to be clean or pure'. The word entered English through Ottoman Turkish during centuries of cultural contact.
This word shows how religious practices create their own specialized vocabulary—English borrowed the Turkish term rather than inventing one, reflecting how Islamic customs became known to English speakers through Turkish Ottoman culture rather than directly from Arabic sources.
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