palestra

Or pa·laes·tra

[puh-les-truh]

noun

Greek Antiquity.

plural

palestras, palestrae 

1. a public place for training or exercise in wrestling or athletics.

palestra

/ pəˈlɛstrə, -ˈliː- /

noun

1. the usual US spelling of palaestra

Word History and Origins

Origin of palestra¹

1375–1425; late Middle English palestre < Latin palaestra a wrestling school, place of exercise < Greek palaístra, equivalent to palais-, variant stem of palaíein to wrestle + -tra feminine noun suffix of place

Example Sentences

The apartment at the entrance of the baths, or in the palestra, where one stripped; a dressing room.

From Project Gutenberg

But when we leave the child "free as a man" in the palestra of his own intelligence, his type changes entirely.

From Project Gutenberg

Afterward I challenged him to the palestra; and he wrestled and closed with me several times alone; I fancied that I might succeed in this way.

From Project Gutenberg

The statue represents an athlete rubbing his arm with a flesh scraper to remove the oil and sand of the palestra, or exercising ground.

From Project Gutenberg

Suppose that at the palestra somebody hath all to-torn thee with XX.

From Project Gutenberg