rotunda

American  

[roh-tuhn-duh] / roʊˈtʌn də /

noun

1. a round building, especially one with a dome.

2. a large and high circular hall or room in a building, especially one surmounted by a dome.

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rotunda British  

/ rəʊˈtʌndə /

noun

1. a building or room having a circular plan, esp one that has a dome

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Etymology

Origin of rotunda

1680–90; alteration of Italian rotonda, noun use of feminine of rotondo < Latin rotundus rotund

Example Sentences

He turns and gives her a smile after delivering that line inside the Capitol rotunda.

From The Wall Street Journal

While robots in the rotunda were programmed to dance, other robots at the event were teleoperated by engineers who wore body suits and virtual-reality headsets.

From The Wall Street Journal

“But she walked into the rotunda and she started reading Lincoln’s words that are engraved into the wall. It was such a moving moment.”

From Los Angeles Times

Flames also tore through Rogers’ white-and-green horse stable, which had an elegant central rotunda.

From Los Angeles Times

Standing in the central rotunda in 2014, beneath the cathedral-esque vaulted ceilings, it was hard to take in: I gazed down cellblock after cellblock, stretching out like spokes on a wheel.

From Salon

Related Words

• entrance
• foyer
• gallery
• hallway
• lobby
• room