Food hall, according to the Oxford dictionary, is a British term defined as "a large section of a department store, where food is sold", as opposed to a food court, defined as a North American term meaning "an area in a shopping mall where fast-food outlets are located". However the term "food hall" in the British sense is increasingly used in the United States and in both American and British references to similar gourmet facilities in other countries. In some Asia-Pacific countries, however "food hall" is equivalent to a North American "food court", or the terms are used interchangeably.