the Order of the Bath
/ði ˌɔːdər əv ðə ˈbɑːθ/
/ði ˌɔːrdər əv ðə ˈbæθ/
- one of the British orders of chivalry. People who are made members of this order receive one of three ranks within it: Knight Grand Cross (or Dame Grand Cross for a woman), Knight Commander (or Dame Commander) or Companion. The full name of the order is the Most Honourable Order of the Bath. There were Knights of the Bath as early as the 14th century, when people receiving the honour washed in a bath as part of the ceremony, but the order itself was established in 1725.