piazza

noun

pi·​az·​za pē-ˈa-zə How to pronounce piazza (audio)
-ˈä-,
 sense 1 is usually  -ˈat-sə,
-ˈät- How to pronounce piazza (audio)
plural piazzas or piazze pē-ˈat-(ˌ)sā How to pronounce piazza (audio)
-ˈät-
1
plural piazze : an open square especially in an Italian town
2
a
: an arcaded and roofed gallery
b
dialect : veranda, porch

Examples of piazza in a Sentence

let's enjoy our mint juleps out on the piazza
Recent Examples on the Web The hotel has three types of accommodations: Le Corte, a traditional main building with 63 rooms and suites, and Il Borgo, composed of 92 townhouses, surrounded by narrow streets and a piazza, complete with a clock tower. Jim Dobson, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 Beset by devastating floods, Venice erected an engineering marvel of metallic barricades that can rise and lower in its inlets to protect the palazzos, piazzas and churches. Stefano Pitrelli, Washington Post, 13 Feb. 2024 Those who prefer to spend their vacation immersed in nature rather than being jostled in a busy piazza are also in luck. Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 25 Jan. 2024 In an open piazza of Carrara, her hair tucked into a bandanna, sunglasses on, wearing a turtleneck and a stained work jacket, Ms. Eshel hammered away at enormous chunks of stone. Alex Traub, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2023 The image’s low contrast and lack of sharpness suggest that it was snapped from the hurly-burly of the piazza. Paul Elie, The New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2023 Once construction of the piazza’s garden, which is directly across from Il Caffe’s alfresco tables, is completed, this will easily become one of Rome’s chicest hangouts (not unlike how Bulgari Hotel Milano changed the game for the city’s aperitivo scene). Chadner Navarro, Travel + Leisure, 13 July 2023 Yet upon stepping into the lobby, tucked away in a small piazza past the whizzing motorcycles of the Via del Corso, the feel is decidedly more contemporary. Liam Hess, Vogue, 28 Nov. 2023 There’s not a church, palazzo, piazza, or staircase in the centro storico that hasn’t been rendered by a succession of ace photographers working with state-of-the-art gear—and by centuries of open-air painters before them. Paul Elie, The New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'piazza.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from Latin platea broad street — more at place

First Known Use

1563, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of piazza was in 1563

Dictionary Entries Near piazza

Cite this Entry

“Piazza.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/piazza. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

piazza

noun
pi·​az·​za pē-ˈaz-ə How to pronounce piazza (audio)
sense 1 is usually
-ˈat-sə How to pronounce piazza (audio)
-ˈät-
plural piazzas or piazze -ˈat-sā How to pronounce piazza (audio)
-ˈät-
1
plural piazze : an open square especially in an Italian town : plaza
2
a
: a long hall with an arched roof
b
dialect : veranda, porch

More from Merriam-Webster on piazza

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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