Balneum, or Balineum

[Lat., a bath.] ( Antiq.) In its primary sense, a bath or bathing-ve el, such as most Romans po e ed in their own houses; and from that it came to mean the chamber which contained the bath. When the baths of private individuals became more sumptuous, and comprised many rooms, the plural balnea or balinea was adopted, which still, in correct language, had reference only to the baths of private persons. Balnea and balineæ, which have no singular number, were the public baths. But this accuracy of diction is neglected by many of the subsequent writers. Therma mean, properly, warm springs, or baths of warm water, but were afterwards applied to the structures in which the baths were placed, and which were both hot and cold. See THERME.