noun
hippodrome
HIP-uh-drohm/ˈhɪpəˌdroʊm/
A public arena used especially for horse or chariot racing.
Spectators fill the hippodrome to watch the horses race.
Etymology
The pieces name a horse racecourse, originally a course for chariots. The meaning later broadened to a place for circus performances and other large spectacles.
In context
he actually paid for a chariot race in the hippodrome
Walk out upon the Hippodrome where the roar of fifteen-thousand Romans
More examples
- Chariots sped around the hippodrome as the crowd cheered.
- The ancient hippodrome had rows of stone seats.
- Archaeologists study the remains of ancient hippodromes.
Forms
hippodrome · hippodromes
Similar words
- racetrack
- Racetrack emphasizes the racing course rather than the entire public arena.
- arena
- Arena is broader and need not accommodate horse racing.