arena
[ uh-ree-nuh ]
/ əˈri nə /
noun
the oval space in the center of a Roman amphitheater for gladiatorial combats or other performances.
a central stage, ring, area, or the like, used for sports or other forms of entertainment, surrounded by seats for spectators: a boxing arena; a circus arena.
a building housing an arena.
a field of conflict, activity, or endeavor: the arena of politics.
RELATED CONTENT
RELATED WORDS
square, stadium, park, gymnasium, field, ring, stage, gym, rink, sector, realm, scene, sphere, diamond, course, coliseum, circus, bowl, ice, platform
Nearby words
- arecoline,
- areflexia,
- areg,
- areligious,
- aren't,
- arena chapel,
- arena theater,
- arena theatre,
- arenaceous,
- arenaviridae
Origin of arena
1620–30; < Latin (h)arēna sand, sandy place, area sanded for combat
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for arena
arena
/ (əˈriːnə) /
noun
- an enclosure or platform, usually surrounded by seats on all sides, in which sports events, contests, entertainments, etc, take placea boxing arena
- (as modifier)arena stage
the central area of an ancient Roman amphitheatre, in which gladiatorial contests and other spectacles were held
a sphere or scene of conflict or intense activitythe political arena
Word Origin for arena
C17: from Latin harēna sand, place where sand was strewn for the combats
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
arena
1620s, "place of combat," from Latin harena "place of combat," originally "sand, sandy place," perhaps from Etruscan. The central stages of Roman amphitheaters were strewn with sand to soak up the blood.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper