vestibule

American  

[ves-tuh-byool] / ˈvɛs təˌbjul /

noun

• vestibules
  plural

1. a passage, hall, or antechamber between the outer door and the interior parts of a house or building.

2. Railroads. an enclosed space at the end of a passenger car, serving as a sheltered entrance to the car from another car or from outside the train.

3. Anatomy, Zoology. any of various cavities or hollows regarded as forming an approach or entrance to another cavity or space, as that of the internal ear.

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verb (used with object)

vestibuled, vestibuling

1. to provide with a vestibule.

vestibule British  

/ ˈvɛstɪˌbjuːl /

noun

1. a small entrance hall or anteroom; lobby

2. any small bodily cavity or space at the entrance to a passage or canal

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vestibule Scientific  

/ vĕs′tə-byo̅o̅l′ /

1. An oval cavity in the inner ear that together with the semicircular canals makes up the organ that maintains equilibrium in vertebrates.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• vestibular
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• vestibules
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of vestibule

First recorded in 1615–25, vestibule is from the Latin word vestibulum forecourt, entrance

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Explanation

A vestibule is a little area just inside the main door of a building, but before a second door. You often find vestibules in churches, because they help keep heat from escaping every time someone enters or exits. The noun vestibule, pronounced "VES-tih-bule," probably comes from the Latin word vestibulum, which means “entrance court.” From about 1880 to 1930 vestibules were popular features in new homes because they create an additional barrier that keeps heat or cool air in and street noise out. If you have a vestibule, you can hang coats and leave shoes and gloves there instead of bringing them into the living room, kitchen and so on.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vestibule vestibules vestibuled

That pressure came to a head after immigration officials detained two Target employees inside the vestibule of a suburban store late last week after what appeared to be some verbal sparring in the parking lot.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 13, 2026

Taking the photographs in a vestibule at the end of a carriage, Edwards taped a large bag to the opposite window to reduce the glare - though the train conductor was not so happy.

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2024

Julia Andreasen, a graduate student at UM, was trapped in her tent for 24 hours after drifting snow buried the vestibule.

From Science Magazine ● Apr. 18, 2024

Firefighters responded to a call Friday morning and found a fire between the vestibule, the elevator and the entrance door of Sanders’ third-floor office in Burlington.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 5, 2024

Beyond them is a small vestibule with a set of sealed, lockless doors at the other end.

From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth

Others rise from the open-air vestibules of the suites.

From New York Times ● Sep. 27, 2022

Some schools had security vestibules at their entrances and buzz-in systems to get inside from the outdoors.

From Salon ● May 27, 2022

That increased functionality starts right at the front door: The pandemic led to a resurgence in the popularity of foyers and vestibules at the main entryway.

From Seattle Times ● May 3, 2022

People lie under the seats in sleeper cars and crouch in the hallways or in the vestibules between train cars.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 20, 2020

Despite Pullman’s vestibules ice as fine as dust settled between coaches and filled Burnham’s train with the tang of deep winter.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

A sudden rush, a soft cry, caused him to pause on the second step of the vestibuled car.

From Lo, Michael! by Grace Livingston Hill

For his apparel would have been more in place in the bare colonist cars of the first section than in the vestibuled, luxurious rear coaches of the second.

From Desert Conquest or, Precious Waters by Clarence H. (Clarence Herbert) Rowe

Each and every word a seventeen-jointed vestibuled railroad train.

From Mark Twain's Speeches by Mark Twain

There were no sleeping-cars in those days, nor vestibuled trains, nor even cars with stuffed easy-chairs in which one could lie back and make himself comfortable.

From Campmates A Story of the Plains by Kirk Munroe

“Here is Stony Junction,” Dorothy remarked, as the trainman let in a gust of wind from the vestibuled door to shout out the name of that station.

From Dorothy Dale in the City by Margaret Penrose

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Related Words

• doorway
• foyer
• hallway
• porch

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