Solariums

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A room or enclosed area with large windows designed to let in sunlight for warmth and light ; a facility or device intended for exposing skin to artificial ultraviolet light to create a tan
2. An indoor space mainly made of glass to maximize natural sunlight exposure ; a controlled setting where people use special equipment to tan their skin artificially
3. A glassed-in area attached to a building to capture sunlight for growing plants or relaxation ; a business or machine that emits UV rays to simulate sun tanning on the body

Etymology: "Solariums" is the plural of "solarium," so the story belongs to the singular. The Latin "sōlārium" meant a sundial, or a place set aside for enjoying sunlight. It is built from "sōl," the sun, and the suffix "-ārium," which marks a place or device connected with something, as in "aquārium" or "planetārium." The Romans therefore had a word for a sunny spot long before anyone built a glass room for it. The Latin sense of a sundial is the more surprising link. A device for telling time and a room for lounging in the light share a root because both are defined by the sun, and the word moved between those two meanings over the centuries. The modern sense of a glass-walled room for basking, and the later indoor tanning sense, both return to the original idea of a place made for sunshine.