vestibule

American  

[ves-tuh-byool] / ˈvɛs təˌbyul /

noun

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  

/ vɛˈstɪbjʊlə, 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

• vestibular
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of vestibule

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

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

The portrait, by Ranald Mackechnie, was taken in the Victoria Vestibule at Windsor Castle earlier this year.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2022

The Vestibule uses Airbnb income to support artists in creating and exhibiting new work.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 3, 2018

In May, they converted a live/work unit at the front of their home into an Airbnb and art gallery, aptly named The Vestibule.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 3, 2018

The Vestibule, SEASON, SAD Gallery, and Strobel & Sands continue the DIY ethos of past in-home galleries, many of them located on Capitol Hill, that helped shape Seattle’s art scene.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 3, 2018

Tablet in Church Vestibule To make the Market Street building possible Rutgers gave a large sum, and he named the trustees "under whose superintendence" the building was to be erected.

From The Kirk on Rutgers Farm by Stone, Pauline

Related Words

• doorway
• foyer
• hallway
• porch