concourse

Borrowed from French concours, from Latin concursus, from concurrere (“to run together”). See concur.

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɒŋkɔː(ɹ)s/

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concourse (plural concourses)

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

     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.

   • 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.

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

     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.

2. Airport terminal.
3. A large group of people; a crowd.
   • 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:

     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.

   • 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.

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

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

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

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

4. The running or flowing together of things; the meeting of things; confluence.
   • 1662, “Galileo's Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief Systems of the World”, in Thomas Salusbury, transl., First Day:

     ... there was only wanting the concourse of rains ...

   • a. 1677 (date written), Matthew Hale, The Primitive Origination of Mankind, Considered and Examined According to the Light of Nature, London: […] William Godbid, for William Shrowsbery, […], published 1677, →OCLC:

     The good frame of the universe was not the product of chance or fortuitous concourse of particles of matter.

   • 1704, I[saac] N[ewton], “(please specify |book=1 to 3)”, in Opticks: Or, A Treatise of the Reflexions, Refractions, Inflexions and Colours of Light. […], London: […] Sam[uel] Smith, and Benj[amin] Walford, printers to the Royal Society, […], →OCLC:

     The drop will begin to move toward the concourse of the glasses.

5. An open space, especially in a park, where several roads or paths meet.
6. (obsolete) concurrence; cooperation
   • a. 1678 (date written), Isaac Barrow, “(please specify the chapter name or sermon number). The Pleasantness of Religion”, in The Works of Dr. Isaac Barrow. […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: A[braham] J[ohn] Valpy, […], published 1830–1831, →OCLC:

     The divine providence is wont to afford its concourse to such proceeding.

In sense "open space", particularly used of indoor spaces, by contrast with plaza, place, square, etc. However, may be used for outdoor spaces as well, primarily high-traffic areas in front of a building.

• (open space): circus, plaza