WordGarden.iosolarium
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /səʊlˈeəriəm/
US
Meanings
Noun
a room or glass-enclosed space designed to receive a lot of sunlight
a room, booth, or establishment where people tan under ultraviolet lamps
Beyond the definition
Imagine a room full of sunlight, even on a chilly day - that is often what this word means. It usually describes a glass-enclosed room in or next to a house, made to let in as much sunshine as possible. It is the kind of place where someone might read, rest, eat breakfast, or grow plants that need a lot of light.
The word comes from the Latin "sol," meaning sun. In some places, though, this word can also mean an indoor tanning room or a place with tanning beds. So in one story, a character may sit in a bright glass room with a cup of tea, while in another, someone may visit a salon for artificial tanning.
A solarium is a place connected with sunlight. The most common meaning is a room designed to admit as much natural light as possible. Historically, the term was also used for hospital spaces meant for treatment by exposure to sunlight. Those earlier spaces could be partly open to the air and were valued for their health benefits.
Today, the word often refers to a glass-enclosed room attached to or built into a house. In that sense, it is very close to a sunroom: a bright space with large glass walls, and sometimes a glass roof, where people relax, read, eat, or keep sun-loving plants. In fiction, it is easy to picture someone stepping into such a room on a cold morning to enjoy warmth and light without going outside.
There is also another common modern use. In some regions, especially in commercial settings, a solarium can mean an indoor tanning room or a place with tanning equipment that gives artificial light for tanning. The exact meaning usually becomes clear from context.
Because of these uses, the word can suggest comfort, health, light, luxury, or beauty. Whether it points to a bright room at home, an older medical sun space, or a tanning area, the central idea stays the same: a place built around exposure to light.
Examples
- 1
Home room
We drank coffee in the solarium while it rained outside.
- 2
Hotel amenity
The hotel has a rooftop solarium for guests who want to lie in the sun.
- 3
Plants
She keeps her herbs in the solarium all winter because it stays warm and bright.
See also
Similar
- sunroom
- conservatory
- sun parlor
Shades of meaning
- sun porch
- sun lounge
Contrast
- interior room
Used with (collocations)
- glass-enclosed solarium
- south-facing solarium
- heated solarium
Explore
Forms and spellings
3 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- solariumnoun
Forms
- solariapluralnoun
- solariumspluralnoun