exedra

American  

[ek-si-druh, ek-see-] / ˈɛk sɪ drə, ɛkˈsi- /

noun

plural

exedrae

1. (in ancient Greece and Rome) a room or covered area open on one side, used as a meeting place.

2. a permanent outdoor bench, semicircular in plan and having a high back.

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exedra British  

/ ˈɛksɪdrə, ɛkˈsiː- /

noun

1. a building, room, portico, or apse containing a continuous bench, used in ancient Greece and Rome for holding discussions

2. an outdoor bench in a recess

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Other Word Forms

• exedral adjective

Etymology

Origin of exedra

1700–10; < Latin: hall furnished with seats < Greek exédra (covered) walk with seats, equivalent to ex- ex- ³ + ( h ) édra seat, bench

Example Sentences

The exedra — a Greek term for what became a popular garden feature in the 18th century — has a statue of Eros at its center in commemoration of the Seilheimers’ 40th wedding anniversary.

From Washington Post

A collaboration by Augustus Saint-Gaudens on an exedra designed by architect Stanford White, the statue, cast in 1880, stands above reliefs of two female figures representing Loyalty and Courage.

From New York Times

Tired after a long walk, I fell asleep under a fig tree and had a strange dream, full of words whose relation to one another I didn’t understand: mouth, nasturtium, exedra, unicorn.

From New York Times

It is still unclear whether the watch vanished from Gandolfini’s room in the Boscolo Exedra Hotel in Rome, Italy, or whether the actor was wearing it when he collapsed.

From Time

Roberto Cinti was driving the Ferrari 599 GTB, one of the most powerful vehicles in the world, from a parking garage to the Hotel Exedra down the road when he lost control, according to local media.

From Time