Sento
/ˈsɛn.toʊ/noun
A traditional Japanese public bathhouse, usually supplied with heated tap water rather than natural hot springs.
Did you know?Unlike an onsen, a sento traditionally uses ordinary heated water, and public bathing in Japan developed partly because many homes historically lacked private baths.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Japanese
Japanese
湯 (yu)
“Hot water or bath water”
Early Japanese
Japanese
銭 (zeni)
“Money, coin, or payment”
Medieval Japan
Japanese
銭湯 (sentō)
“A bathhouse where payment is made for hot water”
16th–17th Century
Japanese
銭湯 (sentō)
“A public bathhouse, increasingly common in urban communities”
20th Century
English
sento
“An English loanword for a Japanese public bathhouse”
Modern English
English
sento
“A traditional Japanese communal bathhouse”