hippodrome
Americannoun
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an arena or structure for equestrian and other spectacles.
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(in ancient Greece and Rome) an oval track for horse races and chariot races.
noun
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a music hall, variety theatre, or circus
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(in ancient Greece or Rome) an open-air course for horse and chariot races
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of hippodrome
1540–50; < Latin hippodromos < Greek hippódromos, equivalent to hippo- hippo- + drómos -drome
Explanation
A hippodrome isn't a home for those massive gray mammals you see in documentaries — it's a big, open stadium that was used in ancient times for horse and chariot races. The word hippodrome comes from the Greek words hippos, meaning "horse, and dromos, meaning "road or course." In ancient civilizations, like Greece and Rome, hippodromes were bustling venues where people gathered to watch thrilling horse and chariot races. These structures were grand and circular, often packed with cheering spectators. Imagine a racetrack, but with chariots thundering around, creating a spectacle for everyone watching. Today, some modern sports stadiums are still called hippodromes, keeping the excitement of those ancient races alive in a new era.
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.
The site’s 2nd-century hippodrome for racing chariots was also damaged by nearby blasts, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
The museum suffered damage, its windows were blown out, but the explosion did not reach the necropolis nor the Roman-era triumphal arch, aqueducts and hippodrome that are also part of the site.
From Barron's ● Mar. 24, 2026
It was reported that one of the hippodrome managers chided Donaldson, saying, “What’s the use of this? Why didn’t you go somewhere?”
From Salon ● Nov. 3, 2024
The vessel was probably part of a river fleet serving the sprawling and highly-developed Roman city of 45,000 people which had a hippodrome, fortifications, a forum, a palace, temples, amphitheatre, aqueducts, baths and workshops.
From Reuters ● Aug. 3, 2023
Uncle Al is delirious, standing in the center of the hippodrome track with his arms and face raised, basking in the coins that rain down on him.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
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.
