'ablute' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'ablūtus', where 'ab-' meant 'away' and 'luere' meant 'to wash'.

'ablūtus' transformed into the English word 'ablute', and eventually became the modern English word 'abluted' as its past participle form.

Initially, it meant 'to wash away', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.