Floorplan

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A schematic representation that outlines the design and organization of rooms and spaces within a building's interior
2. A visual layout that conveys the spatial arrangement and configuration of different areas in an architectural structure
3. A detailed drawing showing the arrangement of rooms and spaces in a building from above

Etymology: Its surprise lies in "plan." The French "plan" and its English counterpart come from Latin "planum," meaning a flat surface or level ground. The idea behind a floor plan is that it shows a building as if flattened, so the drawing is named for the same flatness that gave the word its earliest sense. "Floor" is the older half of the compound, from Old English "flor," which meant the ground or the surface underfoot before it came to mean a level of a building. Put together, "floor" and "plan" describe a drawing of the flat level on which the rooms sit, viewed from above.

Synonyms: blueprint, layout, design