Meaning & use
roll top bath
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Meaning
nouncountableBritish
A bathtub with a curved, rolled rim, often standing on feet, designed to look old-fashioned.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a roll top bath' or 'two roll top baths'.
Patterns
- a roll top bath
- roll top baths
They installed a roll top bath in the corner of the bathroom.
The hotel room had a roll top bath with brass taps.
She filled the roll top bath with hot water and bubbles.
Word forms
| plural | roll top baths |
|---|
Common combinations
- freestanding roll top bath
- A freestanding roll top bath can be the focal point of a large bathroom.
- roll top bath with claw feet
- The roll top bath with claw feet looked elegant against the tiled floor.
- cast iron roll top bath
- A cast iron roll top bath keeps the water warm for longer.
- double-ended roll top bath
- A double-ended roll top bath lets two people soak at once.
Synonyms and how they differ
- clawfoot tub
- American term for a similar bathtub, usually with decorative feet; 'roll top bath' is the British term and emphasizes the rolled rim.
- slipper bath
- A roll top bath with one raised end for leaning back; not all roll top baths are slipper baths.
Commonly confused: roll top bath or roll-top desk?
roll top bath vs roll-top desk
A desk with a flexible cover that rolls down; a roll top bath is a bathtub, not a piece of furniture.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'roll top bath' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Roll top bath' is a bathtub, so it fits a bathroom context. Option 1 confuses it with a towel, option 2 is odd because you don't usually sit on a bathtub to tie shoes, and option 4 is nonsensical because a bath is not food.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “roll top bath”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.