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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Hall \Hall\ (h[add]l), n. [OE. halle, hal, AS. heal, heall; akin
to D. hal, OS. & OHG. halla, G. halle, Icel. h["o]ll, and
prob. from a root meaning, to hide, conceal, cover. See
{Hell}, {Helmet}.]
1. A building or room of considerable size and stateliness,
used for public purposes; as, Westminster Hall, in London.
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2.
(a) The chief room in a castle or manor house, and in
early times the only public room, serving as the place
of gathering for the lord's family with the retainers
and servants, also for cooking and eating. It was
often contrasted with the {bower}, which was the
private or sleeping apartment.
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Full sooty was her bower and eke her hall.
--Chaucer.
Hence, as the entrance from outside was directly into
the hall:
(b) A vestibule, entrance room, etc., in the more
elaborated buildings of later times. Hence:
(c) Any corridor or passage in a building.
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3. A name given to many manor houses because the magistrate's
court was held in the hall of his mansion; a chief mansion
house. --Cowell.
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4. A college in an English university (at Oxford, an
unendowed college).
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5. The apartment in which English university students dine in
common; hence, the dinner itself; as, hall is at six
o'clock.
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6. Cleared passageway in a crowd; -- formerly an exclamation.
[Obs.] "A hall! a hall!" --B. Jonson.

Syn: Entry; court; passage. See {Vestibule}.
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