I. ˈvestəˌbyül noun
( -s )
Etymology: French & Latin; French vestible, vestibule, from Latin vestibulum
1.
a. : an entrance court (as of an ancient Roman building)
b. : a passage, hall, or chamber between the outer door and the interior of a building : a porch or entrance into a house : lobby , narthex
c. : an enclosed entrance to a railway passenger car fitted with side doors for ingress to and egress from the train and with a flexible side wall and roof attached to the end of the car
2. : any of various bodily cavities especially when serving as or resembling an entrance to some other cavity or space: as
a.
(1) : the central cavity of the bony labyrinth of the ear
(2) : the parts of the membranous labyrinth comprising the utricle and the saccule and contained in the cavity of the bony labyrinth — see ear illustration
b. : the space between the labia minora containing the orifice of the urethra
c. : the part of the left ventricle of the heart immediately below the aortic orifice
d. : the part of the mouth cavity outside the teeth and gums
e. : the part of the larynx above the false vocal cords
f. : a more or less tubular depression leading to the mouth of an infusorian
g. : the space within the circle of tentacles in bryozoans especially of the group Entoprocta
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
1. : to furnish with a vestibule
2. : to join (railroad cars) by vestibules