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Glite Dictionary
thermal spring

thermal spring

1 3.7
A natural hot pool of water that comes from the ground
  • noun
  • /ˈθɜrməl sprɪŋ/
translation icon : manantial termal
  • Both Zunil and Almolonga enjoy the presence of thermal springs that give character to both towns as centers of medicinal waters.
  • thermal spring water

Examples

  • The warm water of the thermal spring attracted many visitors seeking relaxation.

  • Swim in a blackwater lake that has warm thermal springs.

    Blog text (21)

  • Niagara Falls it ain't, but the cascading thermal springs at Saturnia are a lot of fun.

    Blog text (31)

  • Like vast clouds of steam from thermal springs in winter, the years of things unsaid and now unsayable—admissions, declarations, shames, guilts, fears—rose around them.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • After a long hike, we took a dip in the thermal spring and enjoyed the soothing heat.

  • The thermal spring bubbled up from the ground, providing a natural source of hot water for the local community.

Synonyms

hot spring
vsthermal spring
18 3.4

A natural source of hot water that comes from the ground

is the same natural geothermally heated water but called with a different term

How Hot

hot spring
18 3.4
thermal spring
1 3.7

Surface Forms

thermal spring singular
thermal springs plural

Morphology

thermal + spring

The meaning 'a natural spring with unusually warm or hot water' is directly derivable from combining 'thermal' (relating to heat) with 'spring' (a point where groundwater emerges). This is a literal, compositional phrase found across many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Thermal spring is a place where hot water comes out of the ground: thermal means 'hot' and spring means water that flows up from the earth. Because heat under the ground warms the water as it rises, the phrase now refers to a natural source of 'warm water'.