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A.Word.A.Day--penetralia

penetralia (pen-i-TRAY-lee-uh) noun

1. The innermost parts of a building, especially the sanctuary of a temple.

2. The most private or secret parts; recesses.

[Latin penetralia, from neuter pl. of penetralis, inner, from penetrare, to penetrate.]

"Beyond this semipublic space lay the penetralia of the house-the camerino, the small room that was the forerunner of the English closet and the French cabinet, and the studio or studiolo. Here lay privacy, security, and quiet." James Fenton, A Room of One's Own, The New York Review of Books, Aug 13, 1998.

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