greenroom

American

[green-room, -room] / ˈgrinˌrum, -ˌrʊm /

noun

a lounge in a theater, broadcasting studio, or the like, for use by performers when they are not onstage, on camera, etc.

greenroom British

/ ˈɡriːnˌruːm, -ˌrʊm /

noun

(esp formerly) a backstage room in a theatre where performers may rest or receive visitors

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of greenroom

1695–1705; green + room, probably so called because originally painted green

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

She rounded out the momentous day by doing press and appearing on talk shows, complete with live studio audiences singing “Happy Birthday” and cake in every greenroom.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2025

If the actors have any downtime, they go and sit in the greenroom, whether they’re the lead or they’ve got one line.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 20, 2023

Producers of the programs acknowledge that they often struggle to book the people who were once regulars in the greenroom on Sunday.

From Washington Post • Sep. 18, 2022

The first year they were dating, Juan was watching from the greenroom when Sarah competed at Nathan’s, and he knew instantly she had PR-ed because she was “keeled over” after finishing.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 1, 2022

Meanwhile, in the greenroom to the world, I waited.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023