Colosseum
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).
Showing results for Colosseum.
Search instead for
PornHub Colosseum.
Colosseum
American
[kol-uh-see-uhm]
/ ˌkɒl əˈsi əm /
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.
colosseum
1
British
/ ˌkɒləˈsɪəm /
noun
Colosseum
2
British
/ ˌkɒləˈsɪəm /
noun
Colosseum
Cultural
Discover More
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.)
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.
Etymology
Origin of Colosseum
< Latin, noun use of neuter of colossēus gigantic < Greek kolossiaîos, equivalent to koloss ( ós ) colossus + -iaios adj. suffix
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The Colosseum has extended opening hours at night this summer to allow more visitors to see the famous Roman amphitheatre in cooler temperatures after sunset.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
To navigate the crowds, Buzzanca arranges early morning or late afternoon tours of the Vatican or Colosseum.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
An early-morning tour of the Colosseum or a private winery visit can be expensive, but Buzzanca says a lot of his clients are willing to pay the extra costs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
Another American tourist, Matt Drowne, 44, said he had no choice but to visit the Colosseum under the midday sun because of the tight schedule of the cruise he is on with his parents.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
“Of course, it’s not like the old days. When the Colosseum was first built, you know, they could flood the whole arena. They had sea battles with ships modeled on real ones.”
From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks
The media built him up, and as we saw in the Roman colosseum, the thumbs-up can quickly turn to thumbs-down.
From Slate ● Sep. 4, 2024
What awaits new players is a colosseum of a stadium, galleries of pictures representing a who's who of football greats - past and present - and an abundance of trophies on display.
From BBC ● Apr. 12, 2023
A plaster cast of each player's torso greets them as they enter the massive stage where they initially gather, rendering them awestruck at the sight of this cross between a colosseum and a museum.
From Salon ● Feb. 20, 2023
The celebrations went on all night in Rome as fans lit flares in front of the colosseum and buzzed and honked their way through historic piazzas on their scooters.
From Seattle Times ● May 26, 2022
“Then what about building a Roman colosseum or an Egyptian pyramid—like a Lost Worlds theme park?”
From "Dead End in Norvelt" by Jack Gantos
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
