a mineral spring, or a locality in which such springs exist.
a luxurious resort or resort hotel.
a hot tub or similar warm-water hydromassage facility, usually for more than one person.
New England. soda fountain.
First recorded in 1555–65; generalized use of Spa
A spa is a fancy hotel or resort, especially one that offers health and beauty treatments or is located near a natural mineral spring. If you like being pampered, you might treat yourself to a day at a spa. You might go to a spa to get a massage and sit in a sauna, or to visit the naturally warm springs in Sonoma, California or Saratoga Springs, New York. The springs themselves are often called spas, and as a result even a Jacuzzi bathtub with underwater jets is sometimes referred to as a spa. The word comes from the town of Spa, Belgium, which has been known for its mineral springs since the 15th century.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There is a spa trip and fancy dinner at a restaurant and behind it all, lurking silently, a cancer scare.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026
This works wonders for Jordan Ashley, the founder of Souljourn Yoga Foundation, who took advantage of Bangkok’s late-night spa culture when she was making frequent trips there for work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
An arborist tends to it every two weeks and the spa replaces 300 to 400 pots every three months.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
The lavish estate features a resort-style swimming pool, private dock, guesthouse, basketball court, spa, expansive outdoor entertaining areas, and panoramic views of the Miami skyline.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
When he nodded yes she’d ask, “Where you want to go, Disneyland, spa, or RV trip?”
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
This would apply to Spa, which has a history and circuit layout that surpasses the vast majority of the rest of the calendar.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
“Let me know if it gets to be too much,” the therapist at Capella Singapore’s Auriga Spa said as she ground a copper gua sha tool into my muscles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
That means that in 2028 and 2030 Spa will be replaced by another race.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
But because it’s relatively new — Spa Hyu opened fully to the public in April 2024 — it’s especially clean and bright, with state-of-the-art amenities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
The cast and crew of Dog Squad rented two entire floors in a Millville hotel near the Four Paws Spa location.
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
Airbus, along with Leonardo SpA and Thales, is likely to benefit from any European Space Agency collaboration with America on moon projects, he adds.
From Barron's ● May 28, 2026
The designer finally stepped aside as creative director of Roberto Cavalli SpA in 2013.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2024
The New York-based beauty company is expected to pay roughly $2.3 billion, after a $250 million payment from Italian eyewear manufacturer Marcolin SpA.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 15, 2022
An appeals court in Milan on Friday rejected Nigeria's $1.092 billion compensation request against Italian energy group Eni SpA and Shell Plc in civil proceedings relating to a $1.3 billion oilfield deal.
From Reuters ● Nov. 14, 2022
In response to detailed questions, a lawyer for Area SpA said in a statement that the firm hired Eliminalia to remove content it believed was “not completely truthful and accurate.”
From Washington Post
Using high-resolution gravity measurements along with models that accounted for both crustal and mantle material, the team found evidence that the SPA basin likely contains large amounts of rock originating from the Moon's mantle.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 22, 2026
General Turki al-Malki, the spokesman for the Riyadh-led groups, said they would act "directly and at the appropriate moment ... to protect civilian life", according to the Saudi news agency SPA.
From Barron's ● Dec. 27, 2025
The SPA added that it was "happy to take his dog and find it a family".
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2024
La SPA, a French organization dedicated to the protection of animals, said in a statement Monday that it condemns Delon’s wish “to euthanize his dog.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2024
Et il était improbable que la SPA -- la Software Protection Authority -- manquerait de le pincer.
From The Right to Read by Stallman, Richard M.
Hotel spas around Southeast Asia are developing treatments to address their customers’ most frequent complaint: debilitating jet lag.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Unlike some Korean spas, which feature seemingly omnipresent TV screens playing Korean dramas or game shows, Spa Hyu has just three small TVs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
This Spanish Mission style property in Carlsbad, Calif., boasts of award-winning spas and two championship courses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026
The demand has given rise to a burgeoning gray market, where wellness spas, multilevel marketers and telehealth websites ply the public with vials of “research grade” peptides labeled “not for human use.”
From Salon ● Apr. 4, 2026
Ear, Eye and Arm passed health spas, vegetable markets, a junior college, beauty salons and libraries, although only Ear appreciated the view.
From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
