hammam

IPA/ˈhæm.æm/
IPA/ˈhæm.æm/

hammam — noun

  • hammamsingular
  • hammamsplural

1. A traditional bathhouse found in Middle Eastern and North African countries, whe

1.nounB2
Definition

A traditional bathhouse found in Middle Eastern and North African countries, where visitors relax in a hot, steam-filled room and then receive a thorough wash and often a massage.

Example

Defne bought her mother a gift certificate to the historic hammam near the Grand Bazaar.

collocation: gift certificate to / visit a hammam

Stefan visited a hammam in Istanbul and let the warm steam ease his sore muscles.

collocation: visit a hammam

Common collocations
  • visit a hammam
  • go to the hammam
  • traditional hammam
  • historic hammam
  • hammam experience
Synonyms
  • Turkish bath

    the most common English name for this type of bathhouse; 'hammam' is the original Arabic term

  • steam bath

    a broader term that covers any bath using steam, not specific to the traditional hammam experience

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Hammam, Turkish bath, steam bath, and sauna all describe places or treatments that involve heat and water, but they differ in origin and style. A hammam is the Arabic name for a bathhouse common across the Middle East and North Africa, featuring hot steam, marble slabs, and usually a wash and massage by an attendant. 'Turkish bath' is the Western name for the same thing, derived from the Ottoman version that Europeans encountered. A steam bath is a more general term — it can refer to any room filled with steam for relaxation, including modern spas. A sauna, by contrast, uses dry heat (hot stones and low humidity), followed by a quick cool-down, and originated in Finland. For example: 'After the dry heat of the sauna, the humidity of the hammam felt completely different on her skin.'

hammam ↗Turkish bathsteam bathsauna ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • hammam session
  • hammam visit
  • hammam towel

Prepositions

  • at a hammam
  • in the hammam

Etymology

ArabicTurkishEnglish

Borrowed from Arabic ḥammām (حمام), which means 'bath' or 'bathhouse'. The word travelled into English during the 16th century through Turkish, as European travellers encountered Ottoman bathhouses. A related Hebrew word ḥammām (bath) shares the same Semitic root.

First known use

1625

1625, in the meaning defined above