Vestibules

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small enclosed space that acts as a passage or entry point to a larger facility is often referred to in architectural contexts
2. This term denotes an intermediate area bridging the outdoors and indoor spaces, usually found in buildings
3. A transitional area that serves as a corridor between the outside and interior spaces of a structure is commonly recognized in building design

Etymology: The plural here is simply "vestibule" in its ordinary form, so the real story is in the singular. Its Latin ancestor, "vestibulum," meant a forecourt or entrance court, and the Romans used it for the open space in front of a house or temple. Its ending, "-bulum," marked a place or location, so the word was built around a spot rather than a thing. Ancient Latin speakers may have linked the first part to "vestiō," meaning "to dress" or "clothe," which gave the word a faint sense of dressing up for entry, but that connection is uncertain and should not be taken as settled. English borrowed the word in the early 17th century from French "vestibule," which had itself come from Latin. The Latin original survives in English as a doublet, a second, more direct form. The English sense stayed close to the original: a small entry area leading into a larger building.

Synonyms: entrances, halls, lobbies, foyers