noun (n)

• an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built(noun.artifact)

  Example:
  The fireplace was so large you could walk inside it.
  

  Synonym:
  hearth, open fireplace
  

  source: wordnet30
• The part a chimney appropriated to the fire; a hearth; -- usually an open recess in a wall, in which a fire may be built.(noun)

  source: webster1913