onsen

/ɒnˈsɛn/

Etymology

From Japanese 温泉 (onsen), from Middle Chinese 溫泉 ('won dzjwen, “hot springs”), from 溫 /温 (wēn, “warm”) + 泉 (quán, “spring[s]”). Compare the modern Mandarin pronunciation 溫泉 /温泉 (wēnquán).

noun

  1. A (Japanese) hot spring.“The hottest springs in Japan aren't in the north but at the Obama Onsen outside Nagasaki.”
  2. A Japanese-style resort hotel at a natural hot spring, offering on-site bathing.“We stayed at a traditional onsen with tatami, yukata, and kaiseki at Onyang outside Seoul.”