Chatrooms

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A digital space where users can communicate in real-time through text messages or posts
2. an online environment fostering discussion among individuals with common interests
3. a virtual gathering place facilitating social interaction and exchange of ideas among participants

Etymology: "Chatrooms" is the plural of "chatroom," a compound of "chat" and "room." The first element, "chat," comes from the Middle English "chatten," an imitation of casual talking, and it was used for light, informal conversation long before computers existed. "Room" is the ordinary word for an enclosed space, so a chatroom is literally a room set aside for chatting. The compound transferred the old idea of a gathering room into networked computing. Early online systems used the same image: a space where people met to talk, with the walls replaced by a shared channel. The plural form simply refers to many such spaces at once.

Synonyms: forums, discussion boards