stadia

1
[ stey-dee-uh ]
/ ˈsteɪ di ə /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR stadia ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a method of surveying in which distances are read by noting the interval on a graduated rod intercepted by two parallel cross hairs (stadia hairs or stadia wires) mounted in the telescope of a surveying instrument, the rod being placed at one end of the distance to be measured and the surveying instrument at the other.

adjective

pertaining to such a method of surveying.

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Origin of stadia

1
First recorded in 1860–65; probably special use of stadia2

Words nearby stadia

staddle, staddlestone, stade, stader splint, stadholder, stadia, stadia rod, stadial, stadimeter, stadiometer, stadium

Definition for stadia (2 of 3)

stadia2
[ stey-dee-uh ]
/ ˈsteɪ di ə /

noun

a plural of stadium.

Definition for stadia (3 of 3)

stadium
[ stey-dee-uh m ]
/ ˈsteɪ di əm /

noun, plural sta·di·ums, sta·di·a [stey-dee-uh] /ˈsteɪ di ə/.

a sports arena, usually oval or horseshoe-shaped, with tiers of seats for spectators.
an ancient Greek course for foot races, typically semicircular, with tiers of seats for spectators.
an ancient Greek and Roman unit of length, the Athenian unit being equal to about 607 feet (185 meters).
a stage in a process or in the life of an organism.
Entomology. stage(def 11b).

Origin of stadium

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin < Greek stádion unit of distance, racecourse
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to stadia

field, gymnasium, amphitheater, garden, diamond, coliseum, bowl, ring, pit, strand, gridiron, stade

Example sentences from the Web for stadia

British Dictionary definitions for stadia (1 of 3)

stadia1
/ (ˈsteɪdɪə) /

noun

  1. tacheometry that makes use of a telescopic surveying instrument and a graduated staff calibrated to correspond with the distance from the observer
  2. (as modifier)stadia surveying
the two parallel cross hairs or stadia hairs in the eyepiece of the instrument used
the staff used

Word Origin for stadia

C19: probably from stadia ²

British Dictionary definitions for stadia (2 of 3)

stadia2
/ (ˈsteɪdɪə) /

noun

a plural of stadium

British Dictionary definitions for stadia (3 of 3)

stadium
/ (ˈsteɪdɪəm) /

noun plural -diums or -dia (-dɪə)

a sports arena with tiered seats for spectators
(in ancient Greece) a course for races, usually located between two hills providing natural slopes for tiers of seats
an ancient Greek measure of length equivalent to about 607 feet or 184 metres
(in many arthropods) the interval between two consecutive moultings
obsolete a particular period or stage in the development of a disease

Word Origin for stadium

C16: via Latin from Greek stadion, changed from spadion a racecourse, from spān to pull; also influenced by Greek stadios steady
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