Pavillon

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A decorative light structure often open on the sides, typically found in gardens or parks ; a temporary tent used for shelter, shade, or events such as exhibitions or fairs
2. An open-sided building usually for relaxation or gatherings in outdoor areas ; a portable fabric shelter erected for outdoor functions or camping purposes
3. A small ornamental building or shelter in landscaped settings ; a fabric or canvas covering set up as a temporary shelter or for hosting activities outdoors

Etymology: The word is an archaic spelling of "pavilion," and its story starts with an insect. Latin "pāpiliō" meant "butterfly or moth," and the tent took its name from the way its fabric spread and folded like a butterfly's wings. That image passed into Anglo-Norman as "pavilloun" and then into Middle English, so a camp shelter was once named after a flying insect. The same root produced two other words that have stayed in English. "Papilio" survives in scientific use as the name of the swallowtail butterfly genus, while "papillon" is the French word for butterfly, which shows the relationship is still visible across the Romance languages. "Pavillon" is the French form of the word, and it is a doublet of "papillon," meaning the two words descend from the same Latin source by different routes.

Synonyms: pavilion