spa

spa — noun

1. a place where people go for treatments that improve health and relax the body, s

1.nounA2
Definition

a place where people go for treatments that improve health and relax the body, such as massage, skin care, exercise, and healthy food.

Example

Camila booked a weekend at a spa in the Austrian mountains to recover from a busy season at work.

The hotel spa has a sauna, a steam room, and an indoor pool.

collocation: hotel spa + list of facilities

Common collocations
  • day spa
  • spa treatment
  • spa hotel
  • spa package
  • spa facilities
  • go to the spa
  • book a spa
  • luxury spa
Synonyms
  • wellness centre

    broader term that may include medical check-ups; more formal

  • health club

    focuses on exercise equipment and fitness rather than beauty treatments

  • beauty salon

    covers only cosmetic treatments like haircuts and nails, not fitness or relaxation

  • day spa

    a spa you visit for a few hours rather than staying overnight

Grammar Patterns

spa + noun (e.g. spa treatment)

Usage Note

This is the most common modern meaning of 'spa'. In Taiwan the term 水療中心 (shuǐliáo zhōngxīn) is often used, though the English loanword 'spa' is also widely understood. Subject is frequently a commercial establishment or hotel facility.

Common Mistakes

I went to spa yesterday.
I went to a spa yesterday.
'spa' is a countable noun and needs an article or determiner.
She works at spa.
She works at a spa.' or 'She works at the spa.
same article rule.

2. a large bathtub or hot tub with water jets that circulate the water, used for re

2.nounB1
Definition

a large bathtub or hot tub with water jets that circulate the water, used for relaxation or soothing sore muscles.

Example

Sven bought a portable spa for his apartment balcony so he could soak after his morning runs.

collocation: portable spa

The hotel suite has a private spa with powerful water jets.

Common collocations
  • portable spa
  • outdoor spa
  • spa jets
  • spa bath
  • inflatable spa
  • soak in the spa
Synonyms
  • hot tub

    more common in North America; usually wooden and outdoors

  • whirlpool bath

    more formal, describes the mechanism

  • jacuzzi

    trademarked brand name used generically in informal contexts

Usage Note

This sense refers to the physical tub itself, not the facility. In everyday speech, 'jacuzzi' (a trademarked brand) is sometimes used generically for any whirlpool bath, but careful writers prefer 'spa' or 'hot tub'. Distinguish from sense 1: a 'hotel spa' is a facility with services; a 'spa in the hotel room' is a bathtub.

Common Mistakes

We bought a Jacuzzi for our home.' (when meaning any brand)
We bought a spa for our home.
'Jacuzzi' is a brand name; 'spa' or 'hot tub' is the general term.

❌ 'The hotel room has a spa' (when you mean a wellness facility) — This can confuse sense 1 and sense 2. If you mean a bathtub, say 'a spa bath' or 'a whirlpool bath'.

3. a town that has natural mineral springs where people go to drink or bathe, belie

3.nounB1
Definition

a town that has natural mineral springs where people go to drink or bathe, believing the water improves their health.

Example

The Belgian town of Spa gave its name to spa towns across Europe, including Bath and Baden-Baden.

collocation: spa town

Mayumi wrote a report comparing the spa towns of Bath and Baden-Baden for her geography class.

Common collocations
  • spa town
  • spa resort
  • mineral spring
  • thermal spa
  • spa water
  • drink the waters
Synonyms
  • health resort

    broader term that may include medical facilities, not just springs

  • thermal resort

    specifically focuses on hot-spring locations

  • watering place

    dated, historical term for spa towns in 18th–19th century Britain

Grammar Patterns

spa + noun (e.g. spa town, spa resort)

Usage Note

This is the original historical sense of the word. The proper noun 'Spa' (the Belgian town) remains capitalised; when used as a common noun it is lower-case. Distinguish from sense 1 (a modern wellness facility) by looking for references to natural springs rather than services like massages or fitness classes.

Common Mistakes

We visited a Spa in Belgium.
We visited the town of Spa in Belgium.
The original town name is a proper noun and takes a capital letter with 'the town of' structure.
Idioms

Spa (town in Belgium)

idiom

a small town in eastern Belgium, southeast of Liège, famous for its natural mineral springs — the place from which the English word 'spa' originally came.

The town of Spa in Belgium has welcomed visitors seeking its healing waters since the 14th century.

Spa is still a popular tourist destination, where visitors can tour the old bathhouses and taste the mineral spring water.

Word family

  • spa-goer
    nounC1
  • spa-like
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four describe places focused on health and relaxation, but they differ in scope and formality. A 'spa' (sense 1) is the broadest, covering everything from a five-star resort spa to a local day spa offering massages and facials. A 'wellness centre' is a more formal term that often includes medical and nutritional services alongside fitness — you might find one at a hospital or dedicated health retreat. A 'health club' centres on exercise equipment and group fitness classes; it may offer a sauna but rarely provides beauty treatments. A 'day spa' is a subtype of spa that offers treatments by appointment without overnight accommodation. For example: 'Camila spent the afternoon at a day spa getting a facial and a pedicure' is natural, while 'Camila spent the afternoon at a health club getting a facial' sounds odd because health clubs do not typically offer beauty services.

spa ↗wellness centrehealth clubday spa

Common collocations

Nouns

  • spa facilities
  • spa industry
  • spa experience
  • spa culture

Phrases

  • day at the spa
  • spa and wellness
  • luxury spa getaway

Prepositions

  • at a spa
  • in a spa

Etymology

Walloon (espa)French (Spa)English (spa)

The word 'spa' comes from the name of a Belgian town, Spa, in the Wallonia region near Liège. The town was famous for its natural mineral springs, which people visited for health treatment as early as the 14th century. By the 16th century, the term 'spa' had spread across Europe as a common noun for any health resort with mineral springs. In the 20th century the meaning expanded further to include modern wellness facilities and, later, whirlpool bathtubs. The original town name may come from the Walloon word 'espa' meaning 'fountain'.