luto-, lut-, luv-, lu-
(Latin: wash, clean; washing of water against the shore; a flood)
From Latin luere, "to wash" which is related to lavare, "to wash".
2. Etymology: the transliteration of cryoablution is "freeze bath" or "freeze wash" and is performed with special instruments for local freezing of diseased tissues without any significant harm to normal adjacent structures.
2. A vast quantity or an overwhelming amount of objects in excess; such as, if by a great flood of articles: Jack received a deluge of fan mail from people who saw and loved his movie.
For her birthday, Cleo's sister received a deluge of gifts from her friends.
3. Overwhelmed, as with a heavy downpour or vast amount of some matter: According to ancient accounts, the northern nations did not anticipate the deluges of the Roman empire with their armies.4. A great quantity of something, inundated; submerged: The deluge of rain caused severe mudslides.
5. Etymology: from Old French deluge, earlier deluve; from Latin diluvium, from diluere, "to wash away"; from dis-, "away" + -luere, a combining form of lavere, "to wash".

Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.
The deluged hills resulted in several mudslides.
2. Relating to a situation in which a large area of land has become completely covered or inundated with water: The most deluged meadow area was difficult for the animals to cross when they were searching for food.3. A description of a large amount of items that have all come at the same time: The workers at the deluged postal station worked as hard as they could to get the holiday mail to the customers.
Several countries have been deluged with financial woes.
The media has deluged people with reports about home foreclosures, bank failures, Ponzi schemes, swindles, high unemployment, and other bad news about the economy.
2. To lessen the force, strength, purity, or brilliance of; especially, by admixture (mixing or mingling): The bright moonlight tended to dilute the effect of the light on the majestic waterfalls.
3. Reduced in strength as a result of containing an added liquid: The bitterness of the vinegar can be mitigated by diluting it with equal quantities of water.
2. A thinning of a medium, usually a liquid, by the addition of another element; such as, water: Typically the dilution of frozen juice is done to a specific ratio.
2. Relating to the Great Flood described in the Bible: Many authors have written apocryphal (unverified, not certain) stories about the diluvial effects and outcomes of the Biblical floods.
Fred and Athena experienced the most diluvian destruction of their home because of the recent heavy rain.
The layers of glacial diluvium are often very dense; sometimes, indicating accumulations that have taken place over centuries.
2. A method for removing materials from a mixture through washing, then decanting (separating the liquid from the sediment) by pouring off the fluid without disturbing the particles at the bottom: The chemist, Dr. Fergusson, performed an elution of materials by cleansing the pulverized substances and mixing them with water in order to separate the heavier elements, which settle down in the solution, from the lighter particles that are in the upper part of the liquid.
Click on the link for additional information about the historical background of washing and ablutions or cleanliness via washing.
Related "wash" words: balneo-; clys-; lav-; plyno-.