solarium

[suh-lair-ee-uh m, soh-] /səˈlɛər i əm, soʊ-/
noun, plural solariums, solaria
[suh-lair-ee-uh, soh-] /səˈlɛər i ə, soʊ-/ (Show IPA)
1.
a glass-enclosed room, porch, or the like, exposed to the sun's rays, as at a seaside hotel or for convalescents in a hospital.
Origin
1815-25; < Latin sōlārium balcony, terrace, equivalent to sōl the sun + -ārium -ary
Examples from the web for solarium
  • The hotel has a large solarium with views of the city.
  • During bad weather, they were put up in the solarium.
  • The cheerful solarium showcases seasonal exhibits including butterfly rearing.
  • The entryway from the solarium is segmentally arched, as is the solarium entrance to the library.
  • The solarium is included in the square footage calculation of the structure and is not valued as an exterior feature.
  • Discharged hospital patients will leave by the east solarium door.
  • In the corner, an octagon-shaped solarium boasts cross-ties carved with desert holly and pomegranate.
  • It serves as an entry buffer, a source of heat in the winter months and a solarium during cooler periods of the year.
  • The mound serves as a solarium, collecting heat from direct sunlight to warm the colony.
British Dictionary definitions for solarium

solarium

/səʊˈlɛərɪəm/
noun (pl) -lariums, -laria (-ˈlɛərɪə)
1.
a room built largely of glass to afford exposure to the sun
2.
a bed equipped with ultraviolet lights used for acquiring an artificial suntan
3.
an establishment offering such facilities
Word Origin
C19: from Latin: a terrace, from sōl sun
Word Origin and History for solarium
n.

1891, "part of a house arranged to receive the sun's rays," earlier "sundial" (1842), from Latin solarium "sundial," also "a flat housetop," literally "that which is exposed to the sun," from sol "sun" (see sol).

Encyclopedia Article for solarium

in architecture, any room that is exposed to the sun. While the term may also be applied to the open sunporches or apartments on the roofs of ancient Greek or Roman houses, it is now used especially to designate a room that is enclosed in glass. In such a solarium, three or possibly four walls and sometimes even the ceiling may all be of glass. Often the solarium is a feature of a hospital or sanitarium, a room in which patients may be exposed to sunlight in a controlled environment as part of their therapy.

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