Lightwell

//ˈlaɪtˌwɛl// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    An open shaft that transmits light from above into a staircase or an inner room.

    "In it a covered porch and vestibule were backed by a vertical shaft or "light-well," which served as a great window both to the vestibule itself, and to the corridors, staircases, and landings that connected it with the upper stories."

Example

More examples

"In it a covered porch and vestibule were backed by a vertical shaft or "light-well," which served as a great window both to the vestibule itself, and to the corridors, staircases, and landings that connected it with the upper stories."

Etymology

From light + well.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.