atrium

atri·um | \ ˈā-trē-əm

How to pronounce atrium (audio)

\

plural atria\ ˈā-trē-ə

How to pronounce atria (audio)

\ also atriums

Definition of atrium

1 : the central room of a Roman house

2 plural usually atriums

a : a rectangular open patio around which a house is built

b : a many-storied court in a building (such as a hotel) usually with a skylight

3 [New Latin, from Latin] : an anatomical cavity or passage especially : the chamber or either of the chambers of the heart that receives blood from the veins and forces it into the ventricle or ventricles — see heart illustration

Other Words from atrium Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about atrium

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Did You Know?

In an ancient Roman house, an atrium was an open central court that contained the impluvium, a basin where rainwater collected. It originally contained the hearth and functioned as the center of family life. The term later came to be used for the open front courtyard of a Christian basilica, where congregants collected before services. The atrium was revived in the 20th century in the form of glass-covered, greenery-filled multistory spaces sometimes found in shopping centers, office buildings, and large hotels.

Examples of atrium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The second-floor atrium space will be closed in, and a staircase more suited to the house's Federal style will be restored. — Cathy Alter, chicagotribune.com, "Julia Child’s D.C. home had lost its luster. But the owner plans to make it sparkle again.," 3 Sep. 2019 Members of the Cult of Marriott Carpet will walk the convention halls and march in a parade wearing costumes in the hypnotic, star-circle pattern of blue, red and gold that once covered the atrium floor in one of Dragon Con’s chief venues. — Cameron Mcwhirter, WSJ, "‘We’re Spending Our Hard-Earned Money to Dress Up Like Carpet.’ The Tight-Knit World of Rug Fans," 30 Aug. 2018 Myself and about a dozen or so other journalists were inside the atrium at the Ohio Statehouse for Gov. Mike DeWine’s daily update. — Michelle Everhart, Cincinnati.com, "You’ve seen the photo of Ohio protesters. Here’s the story behind it.," 16 Apr. 2020 Instead, these are electrical impulses from a group of cells in your heart’s right atrium (chamber) that act like your own internal pacemaker. — Zahra Barnes, SELF, "10 Surprising Reasons Your Heart Is Racing and How to Remedy Them," 27 Mar. 2020 The atrium where people ate sandwiches and drank Starbucks is empty. — Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan doctors reveal what it's like inside hospitals during coronavirus crisis," 26 Mar. 2020 The power portal, which connects the northwest atrium with the main concourse, is near the Sherwin-Williams entrance. — Marc Bona, cleveland, "33 by-the-numbers facts about Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse," 24 Sep. 2019 That morning, the ground-floor atrium was hosting a health fair for kids. — Jon Michaud, The New Yorker, "Julius: The Story of a Premature Birth," 15 Aug. 2019 The indoor atrium that houses the live butterflies is magical, if sometimes a little intimidating, because of the sheer number of butterflies flitting about the space. — Arizona Republic, azcentral, "Summer in Arizona: Locals share 100 fun ways to survive the 100-degree heat in Phoenix," 1 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'atrium.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near atrium

atrioventricular node

Statistics for atrium

Last Updated

5 May 2020

Cite this Entry

“Atrium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atrium. Accessed 1 Jun. 2020.

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More Definitions for atrium

atrium

noun

English Language Learners Definition of atrium

: an open area inside a tall building that has windows to let light in from above

technical : one of two sections of the heart that take in blood from the veins

See the full definition for atrium in the English Language Learners Dictionary

atrium

atri·um | \ ˈā-trē-əm

\

Kids Definition of atrium

: the part of the heart that receives blood from the veins

atrium

atri·um | \ ˈā-trē-əm

\

plural atria\ -trē-ə

\ also atriums

Medical Definition of atrium

: an anatomical cavity or passage especially : a chamber of the heart that receives blood from the veins and forces it into a ventricle or ventricles

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