Andron

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An enclosed outdoor space in ancient residences primarily for men
2. A section within old homes designed mainly for male occupants or gatherings
3. A dedicated outdoor room in historical dwellings where men would typically assemble

Etymology: Ancient Greek houses had a part set aside for men, and the word for that space was "andrōn," built from "anēr" (genitive "andros"), meaning "man" as opposed to "woman" or "child," with the suffix "-ōn" marking a place. The andrōn was where male guests reclined over wine and conversation, while women of the household kept to their own quarters. The Romans borrowed the term as "andron," used for the equivalent men's room in their own homes, and it is from that Latin form that English took the word. Its use in English is confined to historians and archaeologists describing Greek and Roman dwellings, so the word now survives almost entirely in discussions of ancient architecture.