Sentō
/ˈsɛn.toʊ/noun
A traditional Japanese public bathhouse, typically supplied with heated tap water rather than a natural hot spring.
Did you know?Unlike an onsen, a sentō traditionally uses heated ordinary water; its communal bathing culture developed partly because many Japanese homes once lacked private baths.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Chinese
錢
“A coin or money; the source of Japanese sen.”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
錢 (dzjen)
“Coin or money.”
Ancient Chinese
Chinese
湯
“Hot water or a hot bath; the source of Japanese tō.”
8th–12th Century
Japanese
銭 (sen) + 湯 (tō)
“Coin or fee + hot water; the components of the compound.”
17th Century
Japanese
銭湯 (sentō)
“A public bathhouse, literally a paid or coin-operated bath.”
20th Century
English
sento / sentō
“A Japanese public bathhouse, adopted as a cultural loanword.”