colosseum
noun
- large arena
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˌkɒ.ləˈsiː.əm/
name
Etymology: From Late Latin, from Latin colossēus (“colossal”); a mediaeval term for the classical Latin Amphitheatrum Flavium; see also coliseum.
- The largest stadium in the Roman empire, located near the center of Rome.
“The Colosseum (known at the time as the Flavian Amphitheater) in Rome was the empire's greatest amphitheater. A marvel of Roman engineering, the Colosseum could hold up to 70,000 spectators.”
“The Colosseum’s elliptical shape is 617 feet long, 512 feet across, and 159 feet high.”
noun
Etymology: From Latin colossēum, from neuter of colosseus (“gigantic”), from Ancient Greek κολοσσιαῖος (kolossiaîos), from κολοσσός (kolossós, “giant statue”). By surface analysis, colossus + -eum.
- Alternative spelling of coliseum.
“This design was also adopted for their amphitheatres, such as the colossea of Rome and Capua, the plan of which resembles the cavea of two theatres set together so as to enclose an oval space.”
“The temples and banking halls of Rome were turned into churches, and the deserted shells of the great monuments, the baths, the stadia and colossea, were used as quarries for buildings to come.”