conservatory
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a room with glass walls and a glass roof that is attached to a house, used for sitting in or growing plants.
a glass-walled and glass-roofed room attached to a residential building, functioning as a sunroom or a space for plants.
Simple“We usually have our morning coffee in the conservatory when it is sunny.”
In context“The homeowners decided to add a Victorian-style conservatory to the rear of the property to bridge the gap between the lounge and the garden.”
UsageIn British English, this specifically refers to a room attached to a house; in American English, 'sunroom' is more common.
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
a school or college where people study music, acting, or dance at a professional level.
a professional school or college specialising in the performing arts, particularly music and drama.
Simple“She practiced the piano for six hours a day to get into the music conservatory.”
In context“After graduating from the prestigious conservatory, the young violinist was immediately recruited by the city's philharmonic orchestra.”
Teacher's tipIn British English, the spelling 'conservatoire' is often preferred for the school, while 'conservatory' is reserved for the glass room.
Synonymsacademyconservatoire - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
a large glass building used for growing and displaying plants, often in a public park.
a large-scale greenhouse or glasshouse, typically public or botanical, used for the cultivation and display of exotic plants.
Simple“The botanical garden has a beautiful conservatory filled with tropical palm trees.”
In context“The city's central park features a historic conservatory that houses a vast collection of rare orchids and ferns from around the world.”
Synonyms - 04 C2 Proficiency
a place where things are kept safe or stored.
a place or vessel where things are preserved or stored.
Simple“The old library served as a conservatory of the town's ancient records.”
In context“In the nineteenth century, the term was occasionally used to describe a conservatory of ice, though such usage has long since vanished from common parlance.”
Synonymsrepositorystorehouse
“London has sizzled in five heatwaves and the climate control in the conservatory has not caught up.”
From conserve + -atory.
Anglicized form of French conservatoire; ultimately equivalent to Etymology 1
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.