salon

American  

[suh-lon, sa-lawn] / səˈlɒn, saˈlɔ̃ /

noun

• salons
  plural

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.

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salon British  

/ 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

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salon Cultural  

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.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• salons
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of salon

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

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Explanation

Use the noun salon when you talk about the place you get your hair cut. A salon is a good place to get a perm or highlights, to get your nails painted, or just to get a trim. A salon is like a barber shop, only fancier. Most salons offer all kinds of beauty treatments in addition to haircuts, like hair styling and coloring, facials, and massages. Another kind of salon is a formal living room — if you invited guests for tea, you might sit and sip it in your salon. The word salon is French, originally meaning "reception room." In 1800's France, the meaning grew to include a "gathering of elegant people" occurring regularly in such a room.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

salon salons

He used to work in his mother’s Leimert Park hair salon; he later co-founded the art and social services collaboration Art + Practice there.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2026

Halsey sported the Wekafore hair salon longsleeve tee and transparent trousers over mesh camo shorts, and her longtime partner, Monique McWilliams, wore a sleek galaxy bodysuit.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 8, 2026

In Detroit, Michigan, Nicole Williams - who owns her own hairdressing salon - summed up the view of many people I spoke to.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

That can mean as much as offering a lift to the doctor’s office or the salon.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026

Under the salon cape, she's wearing a business skirt suit with smart, expensive-looking heels.

From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon

For his family, working in barbershops and beauty salons was how they made a stamp on their communities.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2026

Many are finding, however, that salons and pickleball courts only go so far.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2026

The BHC said a reduction in VAT would help businesses take on more staff, invest in training and keep more salons trading on the high street.

From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026

"Seeing salons close on the high street is very scary," he said.

From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026

The family even holds literary salons in their home.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt

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Related Words

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

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