plaza

name

1. A surname from Spanish.
2. A city and town in North Dakota.

noun

Etymology: Borrowed from Spanish plaza (“town-square or central place of gathering”), from Latin platea, from Ancient Greek πλατεῖα (plateîa), clipping of πλατεῖα ὁδός (plateîa hodós, “broad way”). Doublet of piatza, piazza, and place.

1. A town's public square.

   “Tourists gathered in the central plaza.”

2. An open area used for gathering in a city, often having small trees and sitting benches.
3. A strip mall.
4. A shopping mall.

   “The hotel overlooks a busy shopping plaza.”