palestra
or pa·laes·tra
[puh-les-truh]
- a public place for training or exercise in wrestling or athletics.
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Origin of palestra
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
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for palestra
Contemporary Examples
PTL (Italian, n.)—the Italian translation for gym (palestra), tanning (tintarella), and laundry (lavanderia).
Historical Examples
This wasnt a lovers bower; it was only a palestra, or an observatory.
Nothing But the TruthFrederic S. Isham
But when we leave the child "free as a man" in the palestra of his own intelligence, his type changes entirely.
Spontaneous Activity in EducationMaria Montessori
The Spartan maidens were required to exercise in the palestra, almost naked, in the presence of men and strangers.
The Trial of Jesus from a Lawyer's Standpoint, Vol. II (of II)Walter M. Chandler
For many things there be, which we must conceit and apprehend, as though we had had to do with an antagonist at the palestra.
MeditationsMarcus Aurelius
palestra
- the usual US spelling of palaestra
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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
Word Origin and History for palestra
n.
early 15c., from Old French palestre (12c.), from Latin palaestra, from Greek palaistra "gymnasium, public place for exercise," originally "wrestling school," from palaiein "to wrestle" (of unknown origin) + -tra, suffix denoting place.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper