athenaeum
or ath·e·ne·um
[ ath-uh-nee-uh m, -ney- ]
/ ˌæθ əˈni əm, -ˈneɪ- /
noun
an institution for the promotion of literary or scientific learning.
a library or reading room.
(initial capital letter) a sanctuary of Athena at Athens, built by the Roman emperor Hadrian, and frequented by poets and scholars.
RELATED WORDS
repository, office, museum, storage, library, treasury, vault, registry, study, atheneum, bibliotheca
Nearby words
- athelia,
- atheling,
- athelstan,
- athematic,
- athena,
- athenaeus,
- athenaeus of attaleia,
- athenagoras i,
- athenai,
- athene
Origin of athenaeum
1720–30; < Latin < Greek Athḗnaion temple of Athena, where poets read their works
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for athenaeum
athenaeum
US atheneum
/ (ˌæθɪˈniːəm) /
noun
an institution for the promotion of learning
a building containing a reading room or library, esp one used by such an institution
Word Origin for athenaeum
C18: from Late Latin, from Greek Athēnaion temple of Athene, frequented by poets and teachers
Athenaeum
sometimes US Atheneum
/ (ˌæθɪˈniːəm) /
noun
(in ancient Greece) a building sacred to the goddess Athena, esp the Athenian temple that served as a gathering place for the learned
(in imperial Rome) the academy of learning established near the Forum in about 135 ad by Hadrian
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Athenaeum
1727, from Latinized form of Greek Athenaion "(the temple of) Athene," in ancient Athens, in which professors taught and actors or poets rehearsed. Meaning "literary club-room or reading room" is from 1799; "literary or scientific club" is from 1864.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper