Definition of "atrium" []

• Architecture A rectangular court, as: (noun)
• Architecture A usually skylighted central area, often containing plants, in some modern buildings, especially of a public or commercial nature. (noun)
• Architecture The open area in the center of an ancient Roman house. (noun)
• Architecture The forecourt of a building, such as an early Christian church, enclosed on three or four sides with porticoes. (noun)
• Anatomy A body cavity or chamber, especially either of the upper chambers of the heart that receives blood from the veins and forces it into a ventricle. Also called auricle. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Surrounding the atrium is a series of Activity-Based Working (ABW) zones designed to house 100 employees each. digg this digg this email this email this tweet this tweet this facebook this facebook this"
• "The atrium is so charming, it can make it hard to concentrate on the more recent works hosted by the museum."
• "It gives an organic rather than geometrical perspective to what might otherwise be a disorienting feature of the building: the gently sloping floor of the main atrium space."