Plaza
/ˈplɑː.zə/noun
An open public square or street in a town or city.
Did you know?Plaza came into English through Spanish, where it meant a public square, and its deeper ancestor is Greek plateia, meaning a “broad street” or “wide way,” tied to the idea of openness and expansion.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Gk
plateia (hodos)
“a broad street; a wide road”
Late Latin
LLatin
plattia
“a broad street or square”
Old Spanish
Spanish
plaza
“an open public square; a market place”
18th Century
English
plaza
“a public square, especially in Spanish-speaking towns”
Modern English
English
plaza
“an open public square or shopping center area”