hammam

American  

[huh-mahm] / həˈmɑm /

noun

1. (in Islamic countries) a communal bathhouse, usually with separate baths for men and women.

---

hammam British  

/ hʌmˈɑːm /

noun

1. a bathing establishment, such as a Turkish bath

---

Etymology

Origin of hammam

(< Turkish haman ) < Arabic ḥammām

Example Sentences

The treatment takes place on a heated marble table inside the hammam and begins with a thorough cleansing before moving into an invigorating exfoliating scrub.

From Salon • Mar. 7, 2026

Fatima Fedouachi, the president of a hammam owners’ association in Casablanca, said the closures had changed the economics of operating a hammam.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 6, 2024

Though still deeply closeted, on that visit I was a regular at the Firuzağa hammam, set among the winding cobblestone streets of the Çukurcuma neighborhood.

From New York Times • May 12, 2022

From street vendors to magicians, barbers to dancers, hammam scrubbers to imams, each expressed dignity in the face of hardship and a unique way of resisting and overcoming their daily stresses.

From The Guardian • Jun. 12, 2020

Moving back and forth, the priests looked like men at a hammam.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides