Colosseum

[ kol-uh-see-uhm ]

noun

an ancient amphitheater in Rome, begun a.d. c70 by Vespasian, having the form of an oval 617 by 512 feet (188 by 156 meters).
(lowercase) coliseum.

Origin of Colosseum

<Latin, noun use of neuter of colossēus gigantic <Greek kolossiaîos, equivalent to koloss(ós) colossus + -iaios adj. suffix

Words Nearby Colosseum

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Colosseum in a sentence

Like the Colosseum, Jep both stands above and is a part of the grotesqueries that revolve around him.
The New Fellini: Paolo Sorrentino’s ‘The Great Beauty’ | Jimmy So | November 18, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Viewed from the harbor, the town presents a striking picture, and the most remarkable feature is the great Colosseum on the hill.
British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car | Thomas D. Murphy
Among the many sights of Rome none give us a better idea of its ancient civilisation than the Forum and the Colosseum.
From the Thames to the Tiber | J. Wardle
The gigantic Colosseum to the humblest of ruins, everything p. 34in Rome is eloquent in the language of history.
From the Thames to the Tiber | J. Wardle
This time-eaten, weather-beaten Colosseum saw many a gladiator 'butchered to make a Roman holiday.'
Flowers of Freethought | George W. Foote

He himself has stood within the ruined Colosseum and re-echoed Byron's heroics.
Flowers of Freethought | George W. Foote

British Dictionary definitions for colosseum (1 of 2)

colosseum

/ (ˌkɒləˈsɪəm) /

noun

a variant spelling of coliseum

British Dictionary definitions for Colosseum (2 of 2)

Colosseum

/ (ˌkɒləˈsɪəm) /

noun

an amphitheatre in Rome built about 75–80 ad

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Colosseum

Colosseum

A great arena of ancient Rome, which seated fifty thousand. It is in ruins today, but its former glory can still be imagined.

Notes for Colosseum

Some of the contests staged in the Colosseum were between gladiators, who fought with swords; some were between people and animals. The arena could even be flooded for mock sea battles.

Notes for Colosseum

According to tradition, persecuted Christians (see also Christian) were fed to lions in the Colosseum for the entertainment of the Romans. (See also bread and circuses.)

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