plaza

[plah-zuh, plaz-uh]

See more synonyms for plaza on Thesaurus.com

noun

a public square or open space in a city or town.
shopping plaza.
an area along an expressway where public facilities, as service stations and rest rooms, are available.

Origin of plaza

1675–85; < Spanish < Latin platea street < Greek plateîa broad street. See place

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for plaza

Contemporary Examples

In her struggle to find her daughter, Esther becomes one of the founders of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo.
How Pope Francis Became the World’s BFF
Jason Berry
December 21, 2014
The Plaza Hotel cooked a fancy-pants latke with red wine braised oxtail, horseradish sunchoke cream, and crispy kale.
I Ate Potato Pancakes Til I Plotzed
Emily Shire
December 17, 2014
A crate of the stuff arrived at the studio, compliments of the Plaza Athénée.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days
David Freeman
December 13, 2014
When they do dine, the Hitchcocks sometimes use Limoges china marked “Plaza Athénée.”
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days
David Freeman
December 13, 2014
One observer recalled them hitting the ground “like melons,” as the music piped into the plaza played “How Deep Is Your Love?”
The Resilient City: New York After 9/11
John Avlon
September 11, 2014

Historical Examples

The garrison was drawn out in the Plaza to be reviewed by their commander.
Gomez Arias
Joaqun Telesforo de Trueba y Coso
In the Plaza de Armas there stands a fine monument to the memory of Hidalgo.
Aztec Land
Maturin M. Ballou
Zacatecas has its plaza; all Spanish and Mexican towns have one.
Aztec Land
Maturin M. Ballou
The plaza, the market-place, and the cathedral are each worthy of note.
Aztec Land
Maturin M. Ballou
The Plaza Mayor in every Mexican city is not only the central park, but also the central idea.
Aztec Land
Maturin M. Ballou

British Dictionary definitions for plaza

plaza

noun

an open space or square, esp in Spain or a Spanish-speaking country
mainly US and Canadian
1. a modern complex of shops, buildings, and parking areas
2. (capital when part of a name)Rockefeller Plaza

Word Origin

C17: from Spanish, from Latin platēa courtyard, from Greek plateia; see place

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

Word Origin and History for plaza

n.

1830, from Spanish plaza "square, place," from Vulgar Latin *plattia, from Latin platea "courtyard, broad street" (see place (n.)).

plaza

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}plaza

Examples from the Web for plaza

Contemporary Examples

In her struggle to find her daughter, Esther becomes one of the founders of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo.

The Plaza Hotel cooked a fancy-pants latke with red wine braised oxtail, horseradish sunchoke cream, and crispy kale.

A crate of the stuff arrived at the studio, compliments of the Plaza Athénée.

When they do dine, the Hitchcocks sometimes use Limoges china marked “Plaza Athénée.”

One observer recalled them hitting the ground “like melons,” as the music piped into the plaza played “How Deep Is Your Love?”

Historical Examples

The garrison was drawn out in the Plaza to be reviewed by their commander.

In the Plaza de Armas there stands a fine monument to the memory of Hidalgo.

Zacatecas has its plaza; all Spanish and Mexican towns have one.

The plaza, the market-place, and the cathedral are each worthy of note.

The Plaza Mayor in every Mexican city is not only the central park, but also the central idea.

plaza

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for plaza

n.

Origin of plaza