area

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree Latin ārealbor. English area Learned borrowing from Latin ārea.

1. A measure of the extent of a surface; it is measured in square units.

   “It is about 4.5 million square kilometers in area and holds the world’s third largest collection of ice after Antarctica and Greenland.”

2. A particular geographic region.

   “Eggimann used a computer algorithm to analyze data from the open-source geographic database OpenStreetMap and automatically detect areas with the superblock potential. He applied this analysis to 5 km x 5 km areas of the city center in 18 different cities around the world.”

3. Any particular extent of surface, especially an empty or unused extent.

   “The photo is a little dark in that area.”

4. The extent, scope, or range of an object or concept.

   “The plans are a bit vague in that area.”

   “Today, a new area of research that similarly aims to mimic a complex biological phenomenon—life itself—is taking off. Synthetic biology, a seductive experimental subfield in the life sciences, seems tantalizingly to promise custom-designed life created in the laboratory.”

5. An open space, below ground level, giving access to the basement of a house, and typically separated from the pavement by railings.

   “A boy seized it, whom she bribed with a shilling to relinquish his prize, which she was taking home, when it escaped from her hand, and fell down the area of a house.”

   “This was so favourably received by the milkman and beadle that he would immediately have been pushed into the area if I had not held his pinafore while Richard and Mr. Guppy ran down through the kitchen to catch him when he should be released.”

6. Penalty box; penalty area.

   “Bendtner's goal-bound shot was well saved by goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi but fell to Arsahvin on the edge of the area and the Russian swivelled, shaped his body and angled a sumptuous volley into the corner.”

7. Genitals.

   “But what do I do when the third one runs at me with his bike helmet on? I got no more hands to protect my area!”