Patio

patio

In Spanish and Latin American architecture, a courtyard open to the sky within a building. A Spanish development of the Roman atrium, it is comparable to the Italian cortile but provides more seclusion, possibly due to Moorish custom. The patio of the contemporary U.S. house is a paved outdoor area adjoining or partially enclosed by the building and often used for outdoor dining.

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patio

1. an open inner courtyard, esp one in a Spanish or Spanish-American house

2. an area adjoining a house, esp one that is paved and used for outdoor activities

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patio

1. An outdoor area or courtyard, open to the sky but enclosed, or partially enclosed, by the walls of a building. Although the term originally described such an area in a Spanish house, it is now widely used for any outdoor recreational space that is adjacent to a house; also See placita

2. A large quadrangle of an early Spanish-American mission, usually surrounded on all four sides by a series of abutting structures for protection.

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Patio 

an inner court open to the sky and often surrounded by a gallery. The patio as a type of architecture goes back to the classical peristyle and is widespread in the Mediterranean countries, especially Spain, and in Latin America.