atrium

noun

atri·​um ˈā-trē-əm 

plural atria ˈā-trē-ə  also atriums

1

: the central room of a Roman house

2

plural usually atriums

a

: a rectangular open patio around which a house is built

b

: a many-storied court in a building (such as a hotel) usually with a skylight

3

[New Latin, from Latin] : an anatomical cavity or passage

especially : the chamber or either of the chambers of the heart that receives blood from the veins and forces it into the ventricle or ventricles see heart illustration

atrial

ˈā-trē-əl 

adjective

Did you know?

In an ancient Roman house, an atrium was an open central court that contained the impluvium, a basin where rainwater collected. It originally contained the hearth and functioned as the center of family life. The term later came to be used for the open front courtyard of a Christian basilica, where congregants collected before services. The atrium was revived in the 20th century in the form of glass-covered, greenery-filled multistory spaces sometimes found in shopping centers, office buildings, and large hotels.

Examples of atrium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

An additional 200 balcony cabins overlook the World Promenade, the flashy seven-story open-air atrium. —Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 17 Jan. 2025

Zoom in: The work includes a two-story addition in the courtyard's interior, which creates a glass atrium to enhance the site's views. —Jason Clayworth, Axios, 16 Jan. 2025

For example, a Sears store in Portage Park, a suburb of Chicago, closed in 2018 and was converted into 6 Corners Lofts, a 206-unit, loft-apartment building with a Target, a glass atrium, dozens of additional windows and balconies, a top floor lounge with a speakeasy and a rooftop swimming pool. —David Moin, WWD, 6 Jan. 2025

The flagship restaurant, Aquiles, conceptualized by renowned Mexican chef Aquiles Chávez, features a ground-floor atrium with moody lighting, leafy plants, and a welcoming bar. —Lauren Mowery, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

atrium

noun

atri·​um ˈā-trē-əm 

plural atria -trē-ə  also atriums

: a chamber of the heart receiving blood from the veins and forcing it into a ventricle that in lung-breathing vertebrates (as frogs and human beings) is one of two chambers of which the right receives blood full of carbon dioxide from the body and the left receives oxygen-rich blood from the lungs but in gill-breathing vertebrates (as fishes) is only a single chamber

Medical Definition

atrium

noun

atri·​um ˈā-trē-əm 

plural atria -trē-ə  also atriums

: an anatomical cavity or passage

especially : a chamber of the heart that receives blood from the veins and forces it into a ventricle or ventricles