concourse

What it means

1. countableuncountableA large open space in or in front of a building where people can gather, particularly one joining various paths, as in a rail station or airport terminal, or providing access to and linking the platforms in a railway terminus.

   On arrival at Birmingham New Street, I make my way upstairs to the mezzanine to get shots of an almost deserted concourse, polka-dotted with social distancing circles like some strange board-game.

   2020 December 2, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 68

   2 more examples

   The focal point of the N.Y.C., Grand Central Station in New York, is probably the world's best known railway station - and with good reason. The main line concourse alone is more than 120ft high and wide, and over 250ft long.

   1961 June, J. Geoffrey Todd, “Impressions of railroading in the United States”, in Trains Illustrated, page 356

   2018, March 1, Tusdiq Din on BBC Sport, Mohamed Salah: Is Liverpool striker's success improving engagement with Muslim fans? In east London in October 2013, during a game between West Ham and Manchester City, a small group of home Muslim fans - with no prayer room available - tried to offer their Maghrib (sunset) prayer on a concourse under the main stand at the club's former home Upton Park.

2. countableuncountableAn airport terminal.
3. countableuncountableA large group of people; a crowd.

   1856-1859, William H. Prescott, History of the Reign of Phillip II Amidst the concourse were to be seen the noble ladies of Milan, in gay, fantastic cars, shining in silk brocade.

   3 more examples

   About three years ago, Mr. Gulliver growing weary of the Concourſe of curious People coming to him at his Houſe in Redriff, made a ſmall Purchaſe of Land, with a convenient Houſe, near Newark in Nottinghamſhire, his native Country; where he now lives retired, yet in good eſteem among his Neighbours.

   1726 October 28, Richard Sympson [pseudonym], “The Publisher to the Reader”, in [Jonathan Swift], Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume I, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part I (A Voyage to Lilliput), pages iv–v

   When we arrived at the hall we found a much greater concourse than I had expected.

   1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC

   Down in the concourses at half-time, football and Christmas collide to make excitable children of us all.

   2016, Daniel Gray, Saturday, 3pm: 50 Eternal Delights of Modern Football

In a sentence

The focal point of the N.Y.C., Grand Central Station in New York, is probably the world's best known railway station - and with good reason. The main line concourse alone is more than 120ft high and wide, and over 250ft long.

1961 June, J. Geoffrey Todd, “Impressions of railroading in the United States”, in Trains Illustrated, page 356

Where it comes from

1. Latinconcursus
2. Middle Frenchconcours
3. Middle Englishconcours
4. Englishconcourse

From Middle English concours, from Middle French concours and its etymon Latin concursus, concursum, from concurrere (“to run together”). See concur. Doublet of concours.