Islamic procedure for washing parts of the body using water, typically in preparation for formal prayers (salat), but also before handling and reading the Qur’an. Wuḍūʾ is often translated as “partial ablution”, as opposed to ghusl, or “full ablution”. Muslims who are unable to perform the prevailing form of ablution due to skin inflammation or scaling or a disability, they are recommended to perform tayammum.
Purification of the body and clothes is called taharah. To have taharah for the body, one should do either ghusl or wuḍūʾ.
Source: http://www.moltqa-alnoor.net/