hot spring

American  

noun

1. a thermal spring having water warmer than 98°F (37°C): the water is usually heated by emanation from or passage near hot or molten rock.

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hot spring British  

noun

1. Also called: thermal spring.  a natural spring of mineral water at a temperature of 21°C (70°F) or above, found in areas of volcanic activity

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hot spring Scientific  

1. A spring of warm water, usually having a temperature greater than that of the human body.

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Etymology

Origin of hot spring

First recorded in 1660–70

Example Sentences

A spate of bear encounters, including at hot spring resorts and in supermarkets last year, sparked alarm, with the government deploying troops to help hunt and trap them.

From Barron's • May 8, 2026

The pair, who met in college in Tokyo, spent $40,000 on their first akiya in the hot spring town of Beppu.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

Painted in 1792, when Turner was 17, The Rising Squall features a former hot spring and spa in Bristol, as seen from the east bank of the River Avon before Clifton Suspension Bridge was built.

From BBC • Jul. 2, 2025

Times Features team shares the places that have helped them amid uncertainty, be it a hot spring, cool desert, calming beach or beloved theme park.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2025

The hot spring that began in Orangeburg stretched into another hot summer, with angry protests flaring up both in the black community and before various city bodies.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson