different between bathhouse vs spa

English

Etymology

From Middle English bathhous, bathous, from Old English bæþh?s (“bathhouse”), equivalent to bath +? house. Cognate with Dutch badhuis (“bathhouse”), German Badehaus (“bathhouse”), Danish badehus (“bathhouse”), Swedish badhus (“bathhouse”).

Noun

bathhouse (plural bathhouses)

1. A building with baths for communal use.
2. A building where swimmers can change clothes.
3. A business with bath-like facilities, which chiefly serves as a place for sexual encounters, especially among men.

Translations

English

Etymology 1

The term is derived from the name of the Belgian town of Spa, where since medieval times illnesses caused by iron deficiency were treated by drinking chalybeate (iron-bearing) spring water. In 16^th century England the old Roman ideas of medicinal bathing were revived at towns like Bath, and in 1571 William Slingsby who had been to the Belgian town (which he called Spaw) discovered a chalybeate spring in Yorkshire. He built an enclosed well at what became known as Harrogate, the first resort in England for drinking medicinal waters, then in 1596 Dr. Timothy Bright called the resort The English Spaw, beginning the use of the word Spa as a generic description rather than as the place name of the Belgian town. At first this term referred specifically to resorts for water drinking rather than bathing, but this distinction was gradually lost and many spas offer external remedies.

There are various stories about the origin of the name. A Belgian spring of iron-bearing water was called Espa from the Walloon term for "fountain", and was used in 1326 as a cure by an iron master with such success that he founded a health resort that developed into the town, though it has been suggested that this term may be derived from the name of the resort. Some have suggested that the town's name can be ultimately sourced from Latin spargere (“to scatter, sprinkle, or moisten”), though this derivation is problematic.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?sp??/
  • (UK, obsolete) IPA^(key): /?sp??/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?sp?/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /?sp??/
• Rhymes: -??

Noun

spa (plural spas)

1. A health resort near a mineral spring or hot spring.
2. A trendy or fashionable resort.
3. A health club.
4. A hot tub.

Synonyms

• health club
• resort

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• caldarium
• pump room

Etymology 2

Shortened form of spastic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /spæ/

Noun

spa (plural spas)

1. (Ireland, slang) A clumsy person (see spastic)
2. (Ireland, slang) An idiot
3. (Ireland, slang) A gobshite

Anagrams

• APS, APs, ASP, PAS, PAs, PSA, Pas, Psa., SAP, asp, pas, s.ap., sap

Dutch

Etymology 1

From earlier spade, from Middle Dutch spade, from Old Dutch *spado, from Proto-Germanic *spadô.

Alternative forms

• spade

Noun

spa m (plural spaden, diminutive spaatje n)

1. spade

Etymology 2

From the Spa brand of mineral water, which originates from the Belgian town of Spa. The compound spawater is attested as early as the 17th century, however.

Noun

spa m (plural spa's, diminutive spaatje n)

1. mineral water

Etymology 3

From earlier spade, from Middle Dutch spade, from Old Dutch *sp?di, from Proto-Germanic *sp?diz. Cognate with German spät.

Alternative forms

• spade

Adjective

spa (comparative spader, superlative spaadst)

1. (obsolete) late

Inflection

Synonyms

• laat

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

• spada
• spade

Etymology

From the noun spade.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sp??/

Verb

spa (present tense spar, past tense spadde, past participle spadd or spadt, present participle spadande, imperative spa)

1. to use a spade or shovel, to dig, to shovel

References

• “spa” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Piedmontese

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /spa/

Noun

spa f (plural spe)

1. sword

Portuguese

Noun

spa m (plural spas)

1. spa (health resort near a spring)

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from English spa.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /es?pa/, [es?pa]

Noun

spa f (plural spas)

1. spa

   Synonym: balneario