stadium

[ stey-dee-uhm ]

noun

plural stadiums, stadia

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

stadium

/ ˈsteɪdɪəm /

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of stadium¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin < Greek stádion unit of distance, racecourse

Word History and Origins

Origin of stadium¹

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

Example Sentences

The pre-match build-up was more rock concert than football match, with flames and pyrotechnics lighting up Villa Park, fireworks flying over either side of the stadium from the roof of the towering stands.

From BBC

Major league teams played 60-game regular seasons in which no fans were allowed in stadiums.

From Los Angeles Times

Softball, which will be in the Games for the first time since 2008, will take place in Oklahoma City’s Devon Park, the 13,000-seat stadium that hosts the Women’s College World Series annually.

From Los Angeles Times

Blackpink has a US stadium tour coming up, but for now, let’s relish these bracing, deeper dives into what else they’re capable of as individuals.

From Los Angeles Times

Before the march, Martin Hopper, Glanford Park's stadium manager, said the club was only too happy to back the steelworkers.

From BBC

Related Words

• amphitheater
• field
• garden
• gymnasium