atrium

American  

[ey-tree-uhm] / ˈeɪ tri əm /

noun

plural

atria, atriums

1. Architecture.

   1. Also called cavaedium.  the main or central room of an ancient Roman house, open to the sky at the center and usually having a pool for the collection of rainwater.

   2. a courtyard, flanked or surrounded by porticoes, in front of an early or medieval Christian church.

   3. a skylit central court in a contemporary building or house.

2. Anatomy. either of the two upper chambers on each side of the heart that receive blood from the veins and in turn force it into the ventricles.

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atrium British  

/ ˈeɪtrɪəm, ˈɑː- /

noun

1. the open main court of a Roman house

2. a central often glass-roofed hall that extends through several storeys in a building, such as a shopping centre or hotel

3. a court in front of an early Christian or medieval church, esp one flanked by colonnades

4. anatomy a cavity or chamber in the body, esp the upper chamber of each half of the heart

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atrium Scientific  

/ ā′trē-əm /

plural

atria

1. A chamber of the heart that receives blood from the veins and forces it by muscular contraction into a ventricle. Mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians have two atria; fish have one.

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Other Word Forms

• atrial adjective
• interatrial adjective

Etymology

Origin of atrium

First recorded in 1570–80; from Latin (in anatomical sense, from New Latin )

Example Sentences

The principal space of the Koolhaas building is the dramatic atrium stair that corkscrews up the front of the building.

From The Wall Street Journal

The headquarters of the United States Pension Office is a redbrick building with massive marble columns marching abreast a soaring atrium in the middle.

From Literature

As I followed the other kids out of the library and across the atrium, I could see that they had tried to re-create the circular theatrical seating of the Academy on a smaller scale.

From Literature

Looking down into the atrium outside his office, you see a large carpet woven to look like an aerial photograph of bomb-ravaged Berlin at the end of World War II.

From The Wall Street Journal

The seven-bedroom main residence is Mediterranean in style, with a dramatic entry atrium, high coffered ceilings, expansive living and entertaining areas, covered loggias and a club-style game room and billiards lounge with a full bar.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• chamber
• entrance