An atrium is a part of a building such as a hotel or shopping centre, which extends up throughseveral floors of the building and often has a glass roof.
atrium in British English
(ˈeɪtrɪəm, ˈɑː-)
nounWord forms: pluralatria (ˈeɪtrɪə, ˈɑː-)
1.
the open main court of a Roman house
2.
a central often glass-roofed hall that extends through several storeys in a building, such as a shopping centre or hotel
3.
a court in front of an early Christian or medieval church, esp one flanked by colonnades
4. anatomy
a cavity or chamber in the body, esp the upper chamber of each half of the heart
Derived forms
atrial (ˈatrial)
adjective
Word origin
C17: from Latin; related to āter black, perhaps originally referring to the part of the house that was blackened bysmoke from the hearth
atrium in American English
(ˈeɪtriəm)
nounWord forms: pluralˈatria (ˈeɪtriə) or ˈatriums
1.
the central court or main room of an ancient Roman house
2.
a hall or court at the center or entrance of a building, usually rising through more than one story or all the stories and having a skylight or glass on one side and the roof
3. Anatomy
a chamber or cavity, esp. either of the thin-walled upper chambers of the heart thatreceive blood; auricle