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

From the atrium, its two-story scale is on full display where the upper levels, plus formal living and dining rooms, are in the line of sight. —Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2024

The program starts at the staircase and ends in the atrium. —Jody MacE, Charlotte Observer, 21 Feb. 2024

One man climbed a statue in the atrium and was arrested on charges of resisting arrest, and a woman was also arrested on charges of resisting arrest, Barber said. —Ellie Silverman, Washington Post, 11 Dec. 2023

When Richards department store departed in 1980, the space became a three-story atrium and second-story food court. —Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024

Large expanses of glass were included to bring the outside in, a prosaic idea in contemporary design today but a fairly radical one at the time, and open-air atriums enhanced the integration between indoor and outdoor spaces. —Mark David, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2024

Arriving guests are greeted with leis and escorted through an open-air atrium filled with sculptures and water fountains, all set against the backdrop of Pacific Ocean views. —Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Mar. 2024

Editors’ Picks Image Image For the Hiroshima West Fire Station (2000), Yamamoto constructed the facade, interior walls and floors out of glass and made the atrium where firefighters train central to the building, encouraging passers-by to view and engage with those who are protecting the community. —Robin Pogrebin, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024

Designed by famous architect Albert Kahn, the structure’s original first-floor atrium has been enlarged central atrium to extend through all three aboveground floors. —Detroit Free Press, 23 Feb. 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