front room
noun1
A room near the entrance of a building.
- She did not knock at the door, which stood open, but, somewhat to Fermi's amazement, walked at once into the front room, which was plainly the room of state.1880, Frances Hodgson Burnett, chapter 7, in Louisiana:
2
Such a room that serves as an entryway, initial reception area, or waiting room.
- Near-synonyms: foyer, vestibule
3
Especially A living room or similar room in such position that is used for entertaining guests or for special occasions.
- He found the door open, and in the front room, which is bare of furniture, discovered the body of a gentleman, well dressed, and having cards in his pocket bearing the name of ‘Enoch J. Drebber, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A.‘1887, Arthur Conan Doyle, chapter 3, in A Study in Scarlet:
- The front room, the parlor, seemed to us children to be a room of much splendor, but was open for general use only on Sunday evening or on rare occasions when there were parties.1913, Theodore Roosevelt, chapter 1, in Theodore Roosevelt: An Autobiography:
2 more examples
- She had a whole floor of everlasting flowers spread to dry in her front room.1942, Emily Carr, “Loyalty”, in The Book of Small, Toronto, Ont.: Oxford University Press, →OCLC:
- As well as our rather cluttered sitting-room we did have what was referred to as the ‘front room’.1983, Bill Oddie, Gone Birding, London: Methuen, page 48:
- Related terms
- front office, front of house, front of the house