atrium

noun

atri·​um ˈā-trē-əm How to pronounce atrium (audio)
plural atria ˈā-trē-ə How to pronounce atrium (audio) also atriums
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
atrial adjective

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 indoor atrium provides the ‘greenhouse effect’ and is home to a variety of plants. Judy Garrison, Southern Living, 16 Oct. 2024 On the Chinese side, modern buildings feature glass atriums, armored vehicles glide along paved roads and floodlights blaze in the night sky. New York Times, 11 Oct. 2024 Soon after, Dylan hangs himself in the atrium of his grand home. Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 3 Oct. 2024 The director will receive the museum’s Stella della Mole Award on October 7 in a gala ceremony in the 85-meter-high atrium of its home, the Mole Antonelliana, which was originally conceived as a synagogue. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for atrium 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'atrium.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of atrium was in 1577

Dictionary Entries Near atrium

Cite this Entry

“Atrium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atrium. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

atrium

noun
atri·​um ˈā-trē-əm How to pronounce atrium (audio)
plural atria -trē-ə How to pronounce atrium (audio) also atriums
: a chamber of the heart receiving blood from the veins and forcing it into a ventricle that in lung-breathing vertebrates (as frogs and human beings) is one of two chambers of which the right receives blood full of carbon dioxide from the body and the left receives oxygen-rich blood from the lungs but in gill-breathing vertebrates (as fishes) is only a single chamber

Medical Definition

atrium

noun
atri·​um ˈā-trē-əm How to pronounce atrium (audio)
plural atria -trē-ə How to pronounce atrium (audio) also atriums
: 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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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