tenements
TEN-uh-ments
Definition
Crowded, often run-down apartment buildings, typically located in low-income urban areas, which housed many immigrant families in the early 20th century.
Etymology
Derived from the Latin 'tenere' (to hold), the word originally referred to any form of property held by a tenant. By the 19th century, it specifically came to describe large, multi-occupancy buildings in cities that were often characterized by poor living conditions.
In the news
The article uses the term to describe the cramped, low-income urban housing where many Jewish immigrants lived, linking the 'messiness' of those settings to the inspiration behind the inclusive, urban environment of Sesame Street.
Jewish entrepreneurs created American toy industry and childhood media culture
Read the full article ↗The Jerusalem Post