hall

¹

[hawl]

noun

1. a corridor or passageway in a building.

2. the large entrance room of a house or building; vestibule; lobby.

3. a large room or building for public gatherings; auditorium.

   convention hall; concert hall.

4. a large building for residence, instruction, or other purposes, at a college or university.

5. a college at a university.

6. (in English colleges)

   1. a large room in which the members and students dine.

   2. dinner in such a room.

7. British.,  a mansion or large residence, especially one on a large estate.

8. British Informal.,  music hall.

9. the chief room in a medieval castle or similar structure, used for eating, sleeping, and entertaining.

10. the castle, house, or similar structure of a medieval chieftain or noble.

11. Southeastern U.S.: Older Use.,  the living room or family room of a house.

Hall

²

[hawl]

noun

1. Asaph 1829–1907, U.S. astronomer: discovered the satellites of Mars.

2. Charles Francis, 1821–71, U.S. Arctic explorer.

3. Charles Martin, 1863–1914, U.S. chemist, metallurgist, and manufacturer.

4. Donald, 1928–2018, U.S. poet and editor.

5. Granville Stanley, 1846–1924, U.S. psychologist and educator.

6. James Norman, 1887–1951, U.S. novelist.

7. (Marguerite) Radclyffe 1880–1943, English writer.

8. Prince, 1748?–1807, U.S. clergyman and abolitionist, born in Barbados: may have fought at Bunker Hill.

hall

¹

/ hɔːl /

noun

1. a room serving as an entry area within a house or building

2. (sometimes capital) a building for public meetings

3. (often capital) the great house of an estate; manor

4. a large building or room used for assemblies, worship, concerts, dances, etc

5. a residential building, esp in a university; hall of residence

6. 1. a large room, esp for dining, in a college or university

   2. a meal eaten in this room

7. the large room of a house, castle, etc

8. a passage or corridor into which rooms open

9. informal,  (often plural) short for music hall

Hall

²

/ hɔːl /

noun

1. Charles Martin. 1863–1914, US chemist: discovered the electrolytic process for producing aluminium

2. Sir John. 1824–1907, New Zealand statesman, born in England: prime minister of New Zealand (1879–82)

3. Sir Peter. born 1930, English stage director: director of the Royal Shakespeare Company (1960–73) and of the National Theatre (1973–88)

4. ( Margueritte ) Radclyffe . 1883–1943, British novelist and poet. Her frank treatment of a lesbian theme in the novel The Well of Loneliness (1928) led to an obscenity trial

Other Word Forms

• subhall noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of hall¹

before 900; Middle English; Old English heall; cognate with Old Norse hǫll, German Halle; akin to Old English helan to cover, hide, Latin cēlāre to hide ( conceal )

Word History and Origins

Origin of hall¹

Old English heall; related to Old Norse höll, Old High German halla hall, Latin cela _cell ¹ , Old Irish cuile cellar, Sanskrit śālā hut; see _hell

Example Sentences

Observing the scene in the hall, I found the applause quite chilling.

From BBC

"We are seeing the rise of the turquoise tide," he told supporters, who had been summoned to the hall three hours earlier than expected over the Birmingham venue's public address system.

From BBC

Babcock already has a vast covered hall at the Fife dockyard in which two frigates can be built side-by-side without interruptions due to weather.

From BBC

With its stage balcony, ceiling fans and rows of steel chairs with red cushions, the hall carried the vibe of an old single-screen theatre.

From BBC

“As I said during our town hall, some of the most formative moments of my life happened in rooms where I was a fly on the wall, listening and learning,” Ellison wrote in his email.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• amphitheater 
• arena 
• auditorium 
• ballroom 
• chamber 
• church 
• gallery 
• gym 
• gymnasium 
• lounge 
• theater