# conservatory

/kənˈsɝvətɔɹi/ (US) · /kənsˈɜːvətəɹˌi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/conservatory
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. glass room in a house

noun · CEFR B2 · British English

a room with glass walls and a glass roof that is attached to a house, used for sitting in or growing plants.

For teachers: a glass-walled and glass-roofed room attached to a residential building, functioning as a sunroom or a space for plants.

- We usually have our morning coffee in the conservatory when it is sunny.
- 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.

Usage: In British English, this specifically refers to a room attached to a house; in American English, 'sunroom' is more common.

### 2. music or drama school

noun · CEFR C1 · American English · Formal

a school or college where people study music, acting, or dance at a professional level.

For teachers: a professional school or college specialising in the performing arts, particularly music and drama.

- She practiced the piano for six hours a day to get into the music conservatory.
- After graduating from the prestigious conservatory, the young violinist was immediately recruited by the city's philharmonic orchestra.

Teaching tip: In British English, the spelling 'conservatoire' is often preferred for the school, while 'conservatory' is reserved for the glass room.

### 3. a greenhouse

noun · CEFR B2

a large glass building used for growing and displaying plants, often in a public park.

For teachers: a large-scale greenhouse or glasshouse, typically public or botanical, used for the cultivation and display of exotic plants.

- The botanical garden has a beautiful conservatory filled with tropical palm trees.
- The city's central park features a historic conservatory that houses a vast collection of rare orchids and ferns from around the world.

### 4. a storehouse

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic

a place where things are kept safe or stored.

For teachers: a place or vessel where things are preserved or stored.

- The old library served as a conservatory of the town's ancient records.
- 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.

## Examples

- We drink our morning coffee in the conservatory when it is sunny.
- The homeowners added a large conservatory to the back of the house to showcase their collection of tropical ferns.
- Architectural trends in the late nineteenth century favoured the addition of a conservatory to provide a seamless transition between the formal living areas and the manicured gardens outside.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.