vestibule

[ ves-tuh-byool ]

noun

1. a passage, hall, or antechamber between the outer door and the interior parts of a house or building.
2. Railroads. an enclosed space at the end of a passenger car, serving as a sheltered entrance to the car from another car or from outside the train.
3. Anatomy, Zoology. any of various cavities or hollows regarded as forming an approach or entrance to another cavity or space, as that of the internal ear.

verb (used with object)

, ves·ti·buled, ves·ti·bul·ing.

1. to provide with a vestibule.

vestibule

/ vɛˈstɪbjʊlə; ˈvɛstɪˌbjuːl /

noun

1. a small entrance hall or anteroom; lobby
2. any small bodily cavity or space at the entrance to a passage or canal

vestibule

/ vĕs′tə-byo̅o̅l′ /

1. An oval cavity in the inner ear that together with the semicircular canals makes up the organ that maintains equilibrium in vertebrates.

Derived Forms

• vestibular, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of vestibule¹

First recorded in 1615–25, vestibule is from the Latin word vestibulum forecourt, entrance

Word History and Origins

Origin of vestibule¹

C17: from Latin vestibulum

Example Sentences

Taking the photographs in a vestibule at the end of a carriage, Edwards taped a large bag to the opposite window to reduce the glare - though the train conductor was not so happy.

From BBC

The armed 16-year-old in Louisiana was wearing a mask and a sweatshirt with the hood pulled up when parishioners spotted him in the church vestibule, quickly subdued him and held him outside until police arrived, said Blue Rolfes, director of communications at the Catholic Diocese of Lafayette.

From Seattle Times

Julia Andreasen, a graduate student at UM, was trapped in her tent for 24 hours after drifting snow buried the vestibule.

From Science Magazine

On Friday morning, according to prosecutors and the Burlington Police Department, Mr. Soghomonian walked into the vestibule of the senator’s office, where a security camera captured him as he sprayed an “apparent accelerant” near the outer door of the office.

From New York Times

“A significant fire engulfed the door and part of the vestibule, impeding the egress of staff members who were working in the office and endangering their lives,” Burlington police said in a statement obtained from AP News.

From Salon

Related Words

• doorway
• foyer
• hallway
• porch