arena
30
5.1
- noun
- /əˈriːnə/
- Archaic
:
arena
- Jerry and I ran out into the sandy arena and removed the ropes from the steer to let him up.
- a public arena
That's Besmears, the name of every martyr throned to the lions in the arena who died for their faith.
- That's Besmears, the name of every martyr throned to the lions in the arena who died for their faith.
- And I asked my father to be taken to the arena and he never took me because I was a girl.
- The circus was a arena attached to the palace where the emperor would make his appearances at sporting events.
Examples
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At this time, dozens of cities across the empire built arenas, and hundreds of games were staged each year.
Academic text (2008) -
I want all of Rome to watch them die in the arena.
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And I asked my father to be taken to the arena and he never took me because I was a girl.
-
Will the next victim please enter the arena at this time?
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Let them fight in the arena.
-
The people sent to the arena were criminals, deserving of death.
Fiction book (1998) -
The bull trotted to the edge of the arena, folded his legs, and lay down.
Fiction book (1995) -
We poured into an arena that smelled of dirt and animals, stronger than ever.
Fiction book (2002) -
Round and round the arena he went, kicking up the sand, snorting loudly and tossing his head.
Fiction book (1995) -
The crowd cheered as the gladiators entered the arena for the epic battle.
Compounds
7
2.5
A large indoor building with seats for people to watch sports like basketball or hockey
Surface Forms
Etymology
Arena comes from the Latin word harena, which means 'sand'. In ancient Rome the central area where contests and shows happened was covered with sand to soak up blood, so arena came to mean that sandy fighting area.