Meaning & use
spa
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Meanings
nouncountable
A place where people go to relax and improve their health, often with pools, saunas, and massage treatments.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a spa', 'two spas', or 'the spa'.
Patterns
- go to a spa
- at the spa
- a spa hotel
We spent the weekend at a luxury spa in the countryside.
She booked a massage at the hotel spa.
The spa offers a sauna, a steam room, and a heated pool.
nouncountable
A town or resort known for its natural mineral springs, where people go to bathe and drink the water for health.
Grammar: Often used in proper names: 'Bath is a famous spa town.'
Patterns
- a spa town
- visit a spa
- the spa waters
Harrogate became popular as a spa in the 19th century.
The spa town attracts visitors who come to try the mineral baths.
Many European spas have been used for healing since Roman times.
Word forms
| plural | spas |
|---|
Common combinations
- health spa
- She goes to a health spa every summer to lose weight and relax.
- day spa
- A day spa offers treatments without overnight accommodation.
- spa treatment
- The spa treatment included a facial and a full-body massage.
- spa resort
- They stayed at a spa resort in the mountains.
- spa town
- Bath is a historic spa town in England.
Synonyms and how they differ
- health resort
- A broader term for any place people visit for medical or health treatments, not just for relaxation.
- wellness center
- Focuses on preventive health and lifestyle, while a spa often emphasizes water and massage.
Commonly confused: spa or spar?
spa vs spar
Spar is a verb meaning to argue or practice boxing, or a noun for a strong pole on a ship. It sounds similar but has no connection to relaxation.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'spa' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Spa' is a noun for a place of relaxation, so 'visited a spa' fits. The other options use 'spa' as a verb or with unrelated meanings that do not exist.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “spa”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.