steam bath

American  

noun

1. a bath of steam, usually in a specially equipped room or enclosure, for cleansing or refreshing oneself.

2. a special room or enclosure, or an establishment containing it, for such a bath.

3. a bath of steam used in laboratories for sterilizing equipment, utensils, etc.

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steam bath British  

noun

1. a room or enclosure that can be filled with steam in which people bathe to induce sweating and refresh or cleanse themselves

2. an act of taking such a bath

3. an enclosure through which steam can be passed continuously, used in laboratories for sterilizing equipment, maintaining a constant temperature, etc

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Etymology

Origin of steam bath

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

In Alaska, that can look like getting friends together for a maqiq, the Yupik word for a sauna or steam bath.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 15, 2023

Cosby allegedly offered to pay for the women to get a steam bath and a massage at a nearby spa and vowed to “treat” them to dinner afterward.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2023

The seven-bedroom house, in one of London's most expensive neighbourhoods, also has a home cinema, a gym and a Turkish steam bath.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2022

Unlike the Spanish, Aztecs bathed daily, and wealthy homes might even contain a steam bath.

From Textbooks • Dec. 30, 2014

Resembling the steam bath of the ancients, there was just enough room in the cylindrical case for a man to sit inside while his skin was sprayed with vivifying moisture.

From The Martian Cabal by Starzl, Roman Frederick