waiting-room

plural waiting-rooms

1. datedDated form of waiting room.

   Her dress was as plain as an umbrella-cover, and she turned round without a word and preceded me into a waiting-room.

   1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part I, page 199, column 2

   5 more examples

   In the third place, by its situation it serves only for a waiting-room, and a passage to the principal apartments, instead of being reserved, as it ought to be, for entertaining company […]

   1817, Henry Horne, Elements of criticism

   The division bell was still ringing; peers and diplomatists and strangers were turned out; members came rushing in from library and smoking-room; some desperate cabs just arrived in time to land their passengers in the waiting-room.

   1845, B[enjamin] Disraeli, chapter III, in Sybil; or The Two Nations. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, book IV, page 166

   "Look keerfully arter that baggage, Kernel," said the expressman, with affected concern, as he looked after Colonel Starbottle, gloomily bringing up the rear of the triumphant procession to the waiting-room. Mr. Hamlin did not stay for dinner.

   1875, Bret Harte, “Brown of Calaveras”, in The Tales of the Argonauts

   She walked into the waiting-room of the ferry, and up the stairs, and by a marvellous swift, little run, caught the ferry-boat that was just going out.

   c. 1900, O. Henry, The Ferry of Unfulfilment

   Over on that platform's the general waiting-room,... and over there's the Gentlemen's, and, any'ow, everythink's written up.

   1933, James Ian Arbuthnot Frazer as "Shamus Frazer", Acorned Hog, page 78