salon

[ suh-lon; French sa-lawn ]

noun

plural salons

1. a drawing room or reception room in a large house.
2. an assembly of guests in such a room, especially an assembly, common during the 17th and 18th centuries, consisting of the leaders in society, art, politics, etc.
3. a hall or place used for the exhibition of works of art.
4. a shop, business, or department of a store offering a specific product or service related to fashion, hairdressing, or beauty:

   a bridal salon;

   a hair salon;

   a beauty salon.

5. (initial capital letter) (in France)
   1. the Salon, an annual exhibition of works of art by living artists, originally held at the Salon d'Apollon: it became, during the 19th century, the focal point of artistic controversy and was identified with academicism and official hostility to progress in art.
   2. a national exhibition of works of art by living artists:

      Salon des Refusés; Salon des Indépendants.

salon

/ ˈsælɒn /

noun

1. a room in a large house in which guests are received
2. an assembly of guests in a fashionable household, esp a gathering of major literary, artistic, and political figures from the 17th to the early 20th centuries
3. a commercial establishment in which hairdressers, beauticians, etc, carry on their businesses

   beauty salon

4. 1. a hall for exhibiting works of art
   2. such an exhibition, esp one showing the work of living artists

salon

1. A periodic gathering of persons noted in literature, philosophy , the fine arts , or similar areas, held at one person's home. Salons thrived in the Enlightenment .

Word History and Origins

Origin of salon¹

First recorded in 1705–15; from French, from Italian salone, equivalent to sal(a) “hall” (from Germanic; compare Old English sæl, Old Saxon seli, German Saal, Old Norse salr ) + -one augmentative suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of salon¹

C18: from French, from Italian salone, augmented form of sala hall, of Germanic origin; compare Old English sele hall, Old High German sal, Old Norse salr hall

Example Sentences

Other importers fear for their bottom line, including some in the nail salon industry that has lifted many Vietnamese Americans into the middle class.

From Los Angeles Times

“Sometimes I think if I did more sit-ups and went to the tanning salon, I could have a lot more power than I do now,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

They transformed their residences into salons for fellow refugees and warned Americans that what happened in their homelands could happen anywhere.

From Los Angeles Times

The violence started on 6 March when a beauty salon in Edinburgh was set alight in the early hours of the morning.

From BBC

At her salon, glue will be used to carefully attach wigs to make them look more natural and women will spend hours having weaves and extensions put in.

From BBC

Related Words

• gallery
• hall
• parlor
• room
• shop
• showroom