hall

¹

[hawl]

noun

1. a corridor or passageway in a building.

2. the large entrance room of a house or building; vestibule; lobby.

3. a large room or building for public gatherings; auditorium.

   convention hall; concert hall.

4. a large building for residence, instruction, or other purposes, at a college or university.

5. a college at a university.

6. (in English colleges)

   1. a large room in which the members and students dine.

   2. dinner in such a room.

7. British.,  a mansion or large residence, especially one on a large estate.

8. British Informal.,  music hall.

9. the chief room in a medieval castle or similar structure, used for eating, sleeping, and entertaining.

10. the castle, house, or similar structure of a medieval chieftain or noble.

11. Southeastern U.S.: Older Use.,  the living room or family room of a house.

Hall

²

[hawl]

noun

1. Asaph 1829–1907, U.S. astronomer: discovered the satellites of Mars.

2. Charles Francis, 1821–71, U.S. Arctic explorer.

3. Charles Martin, 1863–1914, U.S. chemist, metallurgist, and manufacturer.

4. Donald, 1928–2018, U.S. poet and editor.

5. Granville Stanley, 1846–1924, U.S. psychologist and educator.

6. James Norman, 1887–1951, U.S. novelist.

7. (Marguerite) Radclyffe 1880–1943, English writer.

8. Prince, 1748?–1807, U.S. clergyman and abolitionist, born in Barbados: may have fought at Bunker Hill.

hall

¹

/ hɔːl /

noun

1. a room serving as an entry area within a house or building

2. (sometimes capital) a building for public meetings

3. (often capital) the great house of an estate; manor

4. a large building or room used for assemblies, worship, concerts, dances, etc

5. a residential building, esp in a university; hall of residence

6. 1. a large room, esp for dining, in a college or university

   2. a meal eaten in this room

7. the large room of a house, castle, etc

8. a passage or corridor into which rooms open

9. informal,  (often plural) short for music hall

Hall

²

/ hɔːl /

noun

1. Charles Martin. 1863–1914, US chemist: discovered the electrolytic process for producing aluminium

2. Sir John. 1824–1907, New Zealand statesman, born in England: prime minister of New Zealand (1879–82)

3. Sir Peter. born 1930, English stage director: director of the Royal Shakespeare Company (1960–73) and of the National Theatre (1973–88)

4. ( Margueritte ) Radclyffe . 1883–1943, British novelist and poet. Her frank treatment of a lesbian theme in the novel The Well of Loneliness (1928) led to an obscenity trial

Other Word Forms

• subhall noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of hall¹

before 900; Middle English; Old English heall; cognate with Old Norse hǫll, German Halle; akin to Old English helan to cover, hide, Latin cēlāre to hide ( conceal )

Word History and Origins

Origin of hall¹

Old English heall; related to Old Norse höll, Old High German halla hall, Latin cela _cell ¹ , Old Irish cuile cellar, Sanskrit śālā hut; see _hell

Example Sentences

Elaborately uniformed staff around the hall are as drilled as the soldiers who have been on parade during the day.

From BBC

This may take the shape of debates in Congress or robust questioning in town halls.

From Salon

The tower had living quarters, courtyards, kitchens, a great hall where feasting took place and a chapel with a burial ground.

From BBC

With grand banking halls based on those from Soane's building hidden off the corridor, occasional echoing thuds and bangs are the main reminder of the working nature of the building.

From BBC

In April, Los Angeles County agreed to a $4-billion tentative settlement involving 6,800 abuse claims, some of them going back to the 1980s, involving probation camps, juvenile halls and the MacLaren Children’s Center.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• amphitheater 
• arena 
• auditorium 
• ballroom 
• chamber 
• church 
• gallery 
• gym 
• gymnasium 
• lounge 
• theater