different between massage vs spa

English

Etymology

From French massage (noun), from masser (“to massage”) (borrowed around the end of the 18th century from Arabic ?????? (massa, “feel, touch”)) + -age. Cognate to German massieren.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /m??s??/, /m??s?d??/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?mæs???/

Noun

massage (countable and uncountable, plural massages)

1. The action of rubbing, kneading or hitting someone's body, to help the person relax, prepare for muscular action (as in contact sports) or to relieve aches.
   • 2014, Gary Vitacco-Robles, Icon: The Life, Times and Films of Marilyn Monroe Volume 2 1956-1962 AND Beyond

     During the long lapses in work common with on-location productions, Marilyn would silently meditate as Roberts provided a shoulder massage.

Hyponyms

• Thai massage
• See also Thesaurus:therapy

Derived terms

• automassage
• lingam massage
• massage table
• massager
• massotherapy
• yoni massage

Related terms

• massage parlour, massage parlor
• massage therapist
• masseur, masseuse

Translations

Verb

massage (third-person singular simple present massages, present participle massaging, simple past and past participle massaged)

1. (transitive) To rub and knead (someone's body or a part of a body), to perform a massage on (somebody).
   • 2010, January 11, Julian Kaye, "Massage Therapy" [1]

     So after massaging a nude woman while being nude or nearly nude myself, sex is a natural way to end things.

2. (transitive) To manipulate (data, a document etc.) to make it more presentable or more convenient to work with.
   • 2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin 2003, p. 118:

     News relating to public disturbances was systematically massaged [...].

   • 2008, Patrick Wintour & Steven Morris, The Guardian, May 22 2008, p. 3:

     The Conservatives have massaged expectations down by saying they would be delighted with a majority of 1,000 [...]

3. (transitive) To falsify (data or accounts).

Derived terms

• massage someone's ego

Translations

Dutch

Etymology

From French massage.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /m??sa???/
• Hyphenation: mas?sa?ge

Noun

massage f (plural massages, diminutive massagetje n)

1. physical massage

Related terms

• masseur m

French

Etymology

masser +? -age

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ma.sa?/

Noun

massage m (plural massages)

1. physical massage

Derived terms

Related terms

• masser
• masseur m, masseuse f

Descendants

Further reading

• “massage” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Swedish

Etymology

From French massage.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ma?s???/

Noun

massage c

1. massage

Declension

Related terms

• massera
• massör, massös

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