watering place
- noun
- Archaic
:
balneario
- The coastal town became a popular watering place for tourists seeking relaxation by the sea.
Examples
-
Many people visit the old watering place in the mountains for its soothing natural springs.
-
About an hour before dawn, about 25 adult men and the initiate go to the watering place closest to the house.
Academic text (1991) -
In the 19th century, this spa was a famed watering place for those looking to improve their health.
Synonyms
247
1.1
A place like a hotel where people go for holidays and relaxation
161
1.0
A place where people relax and get treatments like massages
39
1.1
An area near the sea where people go for holidays
9
2.3
A place people visit for rest and fun
3
2.4
A place with hotels and things to do where people go for holidays
1
7.4
A hotel where guests have mineral or hot baths for health
How Relaxing
Surface Forms
Morphology
The components 'watering' (wetting/associated with water) and 'place' (location) suggest a location related to water, so a learner could infer a general sense of a 'place with water'. However, the specific historical/idiomatic meaning 'a resort or health spa' is not fully predictable from the parts and is somewhat archaic, so learners who know only the constituents would likely not infer the precise resort/health sense without exposure.
Etymology
Watering place comes from old towns with springs or seaside baths where people went to drink or bathe in water believed to help their 'health'. The word watering points to the water and the place is where people stayed, so it now means a 'resort' for health and rest.