Meaning

noun a public square with room for pedestrians

noun mercantile establishment consisting of a carefully landscaped complex of shops representing leading merchandisers; usually includes restaurants and a convenient parking area; a modern version of the t

originBorrowed 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.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0