salon

American  

[suh-lon, sa-lawn] / səˈlɒn, saˈlɔ̃ /

noun

salons plural

1. a drawing room or reception room in a large house.

2. an assembly of guests in such a room, especially an assembly, common during the 17th and 18th centuries, consisting of the leaders in society, art, politics, etc.

3. a hall or place used for the exhibition of works of art.

4. a shop, business, or department of a store offering a specific product or service related to fashion, hairdressing, or beauty.

   a bridal salon;

   a hair salon;

   a beauty salon.

5. (initial capital letter) (in France)

   1. the Salon, an annual exhibition of works of art by living artists, originally held at the Salon d'Apollon: it became, during the 19th century, the focal point of artistic controversy and was identified with academicism and official hostility to progress in art.

   2. a national exhibition of works of art by living artists.

      Salon des Refusés; Salon des Indépendants.

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salon British  

/ ˈsælɒn /

noun

1. a room in a large house in which guests are received

2. an assembly of guests in a fashionable household, esp a gathering of major literary, artistic, and political figures from the 17th to the early 20th centuries

3. a commercial establishment in which hairdressers, beauticians, etc, carry on their businesses

   beauty salon

4. 1. a hall for exhibiting works of art

   2. such an exhibition, esp one showing the work of living artists

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salon Cultural  

1. A periodic gathering of persons noted in literature, philosophy, the fine arts, or similar areas, held at one person's home. Salons thrived in the Enlightenment.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• salons
  plural

Etymology

Origin of salon

First recorded in 1705–15; from French, from Italian salone, equivalent to sal(a) “hall” (from Germanic; compare Old English sæl, Old Saxon seli, German Saal, Old Norse salr ) + -one augmentative suffix

Explanation

Use the noun salon when you talk about the place you get your hair cut. A salon is a good place to get a perm or highlights, to get your nails painted, or just to get a trim. A salon is like a barber shop, only fancier. Most salons offer all kinds of beauty treatments in addition to haircuts, like hair styling and coloring, facials, and massages. Another kind of salon is a formal living room — if you invited guests for tea, you might sit and sip it in your salon. The word salon is French, originally meaning "reception room." In 1800's France, the meaning grew to include a "gathering of elegant people" occurring regularly in such a room.

Example Sentences

As I wrote in Salon a couple of years ago, Madison knew what he was doing, and he was deft in his use of English.

From Salon • Jul. 1, 2026

Three blocks away, Cristina Medrano, owner of Kassandra’s Beauty Salon, said the heavy smoke had forced her to cancel several appointments, including four on June 17, when the fire erupted.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 24, 2026

The Salon archives are already full of breads worthy of a place on your dinner table.

From Salon • Jun. 22, 2026

Glenn Harris, the president of racial justice organization Race Forward, told Salon that he views this year’s Juneteenth through a complicated lens.

From Salon • Jun. 19, 2026

He went into the Salon Carré; he went out of the Salon Carré; he went down a stairwell.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

Related Words

• gallery
• hall
• parlor
• room
• shop
• showroom