Sauna Meaning
/ˈsɔː.nə/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA room or a house designed for heat sessions.
nounThe act of using a sauna.
Sentence Examples
An insulated soft-wood room and a good heater are the absolute necessities for a sauna.
He was in the process of meditating before the mandala when she entered the sauna.
The idea of entering a sauna wearing clothes is unthinkable.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The bather sat on a wooden bench inside the hot ____ and sweated.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
After the ski run, they relaxed in the wooden ____ to warm their tired muscles.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from Finnish sauna. Doublet of stack.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Of course, it will never get -100 here like it does in Antarctica, but a 300-degree swing was still theoretically possible on a record-cold Minnesota morning–if we got the sauna hot enough."
— 2019 February 8, Saunatimes Guest Posts, quoting Tyler, “Father and sons take a 280 degree f. sauna, documenting the only “300 Club” in North America”, in SaunaTimes, archived from the original on 29 Sep 2022:
"As health-conscious Americans have jumped headfirst into saunas, some Europeans have at times also found themselves a little baffled by their fellow steam lovers’ behavior, worried a millennia-old tradition is being warped by American wellness culture."
— 2026 January 18, Kristy Alpert, “The Europeans Have Some Notes About American Sauna Culture”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 19 Jan 2026:
"One of my favorite saunas was just one go and thirteen minutes long, including clean up time."
— 2019 February 8, Saunatimes Guest Posts, quoting Tony, “Father and sons take a 280 degree f. sauna, documenting the only “300 Club” in North America”, in SaunaTimes, archived from the original on 29 Sep 2022:
"McPhail ran Maitland's brothels—knocking-shops in Maryhill, Riddrie, Dennistoun, and the more upscale saunas in the West End and city centre."
— 2022, Liam McIlvanney, The Heretic, page 250:
"“I find it disgusting,” she said. “It would be a total no-no to go to a sauna in Austria with your bathing suit, and an insult to wear workout clothes.” She now saunas at home."
— 2026 January 18, Kristy Alpert, “The Europeans Have Some Notes About American Sauna Culture”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The bather sat on a wooden bench inside the hot ____ and sweated.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
After the ski run, they relaxed in the wooden ____ to warm their tired muscles.