atrium
n pl , atria
1 the open main court of a Roman house
2 a central often glass-roofed hall that extends through several storeys in a building, such as a shopping centre or hotel
3 a court in front of an early Christian or medieval church, esp. one flanked by colonnades
4 (Anatomy) a cavity or chamber in the body, esp. the upper chamber of each half of the heart
(C17: from Latin; related to ater black, perhaps originally referring to the part of the house that was blackened by smoke from the hearth)
♦
atrial adj