Colosseum

[kol-uh-see-uhm]

noun

1. 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).

2. (lowercase),  coliseum.

Colosseum

¹

/ ˌkɒləˈsɪəm /

noun

1. an amphitheatre in Rome built about 75–80 _ad

colosseum

²

/ ˌkɒləˈsɪəm /

noun

1. a variant spelling of coliseum

Colosseum

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

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Colosseum¹

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

Example Sentences

“Your Colosseum is colossal,” Mrs. Apple said approvingly.

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“What we are going to continue to do as House Democrats is to partner with our allies throughout America is to wage the fight, to stay in the Colosseum,” Jeffries said at a news conference.

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An investigation is underway into what happened on the site, in a busy area near the Colosseum, but one of his fellow workers told AFP that the site was "not safe".

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The tower is in a busy area, just off the Imperial Forum and close to the Colosseum, Italy's top tourist site.

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Roman emperor’s secret passage to Colosseum opens to public for first time in 2000 years.

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