atrium (redirected from common atrium)

a·tri·um  (tr-m)

n. pl. a·tri·a (tr-) or a·tri·ums

1. Architecture A rectangular court, as:

a. A usually skylighted central area, often containing plants, in some modern buildings, especially of a public or commercial nature.

b. The open area in the center of an ancient Roman house.

c. The forecourt of a building, such as an early Christian church, enclosed on three or four sides with porticoes.

2. 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.

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[Latin trium; see ter- in Indo-European roots.]

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atrium

Noun

pl atria

1. Anat the upper chamber of each half of the heart

2. a central hall that extends through several storeys in a modern building

3. the open main court of an ancient Roman house [Latin]

atrial adj

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atrium  (tr-m)

Plural atria or atriums

A chamber of the heart that receives blood from the veins and forces it by muscular contraction into a ventricle. Mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians have two atria; fish have one.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	atrium - any chamber that is connected to other chambers or passageways (especially one of the two upper chambers of the heart) chamber - an enclosed volume in the body; "the chambers of his heart were healthy" atrium cordis, atrium of the heart - the upper chamber of each half of the heart
	2.	atrium - the central area in a building; open to the sky courtyard, court - an area wholly or partly surrounded by walls or buildings; "the house was built around an inner court"