Salon

sa·lon (s-ln, sln, s-lô) n.

1) A large room, such as a drawing room, used for receiving and entertaining guests.

2) A periodic gathering of people of social or intellectual distinction.

3) A hall or gallery for the exhibition of works of art.

4) A commercial establishment offering a product or service related to fashion: a beauty salon.

[French, from Italian salone, augmentative of sala, hall, of Germanic origin.]

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.