day room

American  

Or dayroom

noun

1. a room at an institution, as on a military base, providing facilities for leisure activities.

2. (in a hospital) a recreation room for ambulatory patients.

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day room British  

noun

1. a communal living room in a residential institution such as a hospital

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Etymology

Origin of day room

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

day room

"They'd written observations of Winbourne being in the day room, sitting there eating his breakfast, and this was three days after he'd passed away," says Carole.

From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2025

As a result, the day room has turned into what I like to think of as a prison coffee shop.

From Slate ● Dec. 13, 2023

Inspectors who took a tour of Central post-transfer found playing cards at the table in the day room — evidence, they said, of a hastily orchestrated departure.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 30, 2022

Perhaps the world’s least calming yoga studio, David-Jeremiah’s installation at CulturalDC’s pop-up space is modeled on a prison day room.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 19, 2022

I remember that you were a fairly good pool player and I can picture you quite clearly in the Company day room at the pool table.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote