span.
/spɑː/, /spɔː/, U.S. /spɑ/ 1.
a. With capital. The name of a watering-place in the province of Liège, Belgium, celebrated for the curative properties of its mineral springs. †In early use the Spa.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > healing > places for the sick or injured > [noun] > place to which invalids resort > spa > specific
the Spa1565
1565 in J. W. Burgon Life & Times Sir T. Gresham (1839) II. 93 And now do I the more feare the danger of this winter, for that I have now lost the comodity..of going to the Spa for this yere.
1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene i. xi. sig. L3 Both Silo this, and Iordan did excell, And th'English Bath, and eke the german Spau.
1619 in S. R. Gardiner Lett. Relations Eng. & Germany (1865) 1st Ser. 200 For my health to goe drinke the waters of the Spaw for the few dayes yet remayning of their season.
1665 F. P. Verney & M. M. Verney Mem. Verney Family 17th Cent. (1907) II. 243 The first inst. we arrived att the nasty Spaw, and have now began to drinke the horid sulfer watter.
1723 J. Arbuthnot Let. 17 Nov. in J. Swift Lett. (1766) II. 253 I have of late sent several patients in that case to the Spa, to drink there of the Geronster water, which will not carry from the spot.
1733 Coote in J. Swift Lett. (1768) IV. 59 A walking-stick, the manufacture of Spa, where she had it made for you.
1780 J. Adams Wks. (1854) IX. 509 I have received your favour, written after your return from Spa.
1835 J. Forbes et al. Cycl. Pract. Med. IV. 475/2 The Geronstere is the most celebrated fountain at Spa after the Pouhon.
b. In generalized sense.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > healing > medical treatment > treatments using water > [noun] > taking medicinal waters
spa1616
water drinking1684
watering1765
Kur1885
1616 F. Beaumont & J. Fletcher Scornful Ladie iii. sig. F3v He has yet past cure of Phisicke, spaw, or any diet, a primatiue pox in his bones.
2.
a. A medicinal or mineral spring or well.
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the world > health and disease > healing > medical treatment > treatments using water > [noun] > taking medicinal waters > a medicinal spring
bath864
baina1552
spring1567
spa1626
well1632
onsen1896
1626 E. Deane Spadacrene Anglica 9 Doctor Timothy Bright..first gave the name of the English Spaw vnto this Fountaine about thirty yeares since, or more.
1652 J. French York-shire Spaw vii. 67 For the better understanding of the nature of this Spaw, I made divers experiments thereof.
1727 W. Mather Young Man's Compan. (ed. 13) 390 The abundance of Medicinal-Waters.., particularly those of the Spaws in Yorkshire.
1778 W. Pryce Mineralogia Cornubiensis 8 The migration and egress of Metals and Minerals, is obvious enough in the investigation of Mineral Spaws or Springs.
1843 R. J. Graves Syst. Clin. Med. xx. 234 Sulphureous waters, such as the Lucan and Harrowgate Spas.
1901 W. Besant Lady of Lynn vi The town found itself the possessor of a Spa—and such a Spa!
b. Also spa bath, spa pool. A health bath containing hot, aerated water. U.S.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > healing > medical treatment > treatments using water > [noun] > treatments by baths
warm bath1731
warm bathing1744
sea-bathing1749
sea-bath1785
balneotherapy1881
thalassotherapy1899
spa bath1974
1974 Los Angeles Times 13 Oct. iii. 8 (advt.) The Original Santa Barbara Hotub is a superbly-engineered spa that is beautiful furniture.
1976 Outdoor Living (N.Z.) 1 ii. 59/1 A spa pool is a large, hot bath with aerated water, bubbling softly around, massaging your body.
1977 Times 29 Oct. 11/5 The latest craze [in Los Angeles] is bathing with your friends..in a jacuzzi or spa-bath.
1979 Arizona Daily Star 8 Apr. j1/5 Spas in or next to the pools are also a hot item. Ragel says he sells spas with about 50 percent of his pools.
3.
a. A town, locality, or resort possessing a mineral spring or springs; a watering-place of this kind.
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the world > health and disease > healing > places for the sick or injured > [noun] > place to which invalids resort > spa
bath1562
balneary1646
wells1673
spa1781
springs1849
Kurort1868
1781 R. B. Sheridan Trip to Scarborough i. ii Even the boors of this northern spa have learned the respect due to a title.
1807 J. Beresford Miseries Human Life II. xiv. 27 The inland Spa is not a jot behind the Fishing-town in the article of tortures.
1856 C. Merivale Hist. Romans under Empire IV. xl. 477 Baiæ, the most fashionable of the Roman spas, presented another and more lively spectacle.
1879 T. H. S. Escott England I. 175 Bath..continues..to hold its own as one of the great inland spas of the kingdom.
b. A commercial establishment which offers health and beauty treatment (esp. for women) through steam baths, exercise equipment, massage, and the like. U.S.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > healing > places for the sick or injured > [noun] > health club or farm
health farm1927
spa1960
health club1961
1960 Life 8 Feb. 111/1 The submerged specter above..is getting a hydraulic underwater massage at a plush health spa near San Diego called the Golden Gate beauty resort whose customers are usually female.
1976 Vogue (U.S. ed.) Dec. 214/1 Most American spas are designed exclusively for women.
1981 W. Safire in N.Y. Times Mag. 21 June 10/2 Only fuddy-duddies go to the gym,..the upscale..crowd goes to the spa.
Compounds
General attributive. See also spa-water n.
spa-diet n.
Π
1626 E. Deane Spadacrene Anglica 26 The most proper season to vndertake this our English Spaw dyet.
spa-drinker n.
Π
1652 J. French York-shire Spaw xiii. 100 Of the Dyet to be observed by Spaw-drinkers.
spa-fountain n.
Π
1626 E. Deane (title) Spadacrene Anglica. Or, The English spaw-fovntaine.
1630 G. Hakewill Apologie (ed. 2) sig. Zz1 Who may perhaps with more benefit..pertake of this our English Spaw-fountaine.
spa-house n.
Π
1812 J. Bigland Beauties Eng. & Wales XVI. 355 The spaw-house is situated on the sea-shore.
spa spring n.
Π
1808 Z. M. Pike Acct. Exped. Sources Mississippi (1810) II. 137 On the west side of said ridge we found spa springs.
spa treatment n.
Π
1896 T. C. Allbutt et al. Syst. Med. I. 330 The good effects produced by spa treatment.
spa well n.
Π
1652 J. French York-shire Spaw vii. 65 The Spaw-well near Knares-borow.
1751 S. Whatley England's Gazetteer at Scarborough The Spaw-well, as it is improperly called, is a spring a quarter of a m. S. of the T.
1815 W. Scott Guy Mannering II. 341 At the spaw-well below the craig.
spa woman n.
Π
1652 J. French York-shire Spaw ix. 83 Giving them such directions for the drinking the waters as the very Spaw-women themselves laugh at.
Derivatives
spa v. (also spaa) (a) transitive, to subject to spa-treatment; (b) intransitive, to frequent or visit a spa or spas.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > healing > medical treatment > treatments using water > practise hydropathy [verb (intransitive)] > frequent or visit spas
to take the waters1652
to go to the waters1788
spa1832
the world > health and disease > healing > medical treatment > treatments using water > treat hydropathically [verb (transitive)] > subject to spa treatment
spa1832
1832 in T. Medwin Angler in Wales (1834) II. 280 Here I am, after being ‘spaed’ for a week at Cheltenham.
1847 W. E. Forster in T. W. Reid Life W. E. Forster (1888) I. 206 I have been spaaing in this distinguished company now for three days. I joined them at Matlock on Friday morning.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1913; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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