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amphitheater

 
Dictionary: am·phi·the·a·ter   (ăm'fə-thē'ə-tər) pronunciation
 
n.
  1. An oval or round structure having tiers of seats rising gradually outward from a central open space or arena.
  2. An arena where contests and spectacles are held.
  3. A level area surrounded by upward sloping ground.
  4. An upper, sloping gallery with seats for spectators, as in a theater or operating room.

[Middle English amphitheatre, from Latin amphitheātrum, from Greek amphitheātron : amphi-, amphi- + theātron, theater; see theater.]

amphitheatric am'phi·the·at'ric (-ăt'rĭk) or am'phi·the·at'ri·cal adj.
amphitheatrically am'phi·the·at'ri·cal·ly adv.
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Freestanding, open-air round or oval structure with a central arena and tiers of concentric seats. The amphitheater originated in ancient Italy (Etruria and Campania) and reflects the entertainment forms popular there, including gladiatorial games and contests of animals with one another or of men with animals. The earliest extant amphitheater is one built at Pompeii (c. 80 BC). Examples survive throughout the former provinces of the Roman empire, the most famous being Rome's Colosseum.

For more information on amphitheater, visit Britannica.com.

 
Architecture: amphitheater, amphitheater
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1. A circular, semicircular, or elliptical auditorium in which a central arena is surrounded by rising tiers of seats.
2. (Brit.) The first section of seats in the gallery of a theater.
3. Any outdoor theater, esp. of the classical Greek type.

amphitheater


 
Columbia Encyclopedia: amphitheater
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amphitheater (ăm'fəthē'ətər, ăm'pə–) , open structure used for the exhibition of gladiatorial contests, struggles of wild beasts, sham sea battles, and similar spectacles. There is no Greek prototype of amphitheaters, which were primarily Roman and were built in many cities throughout the empire. More or less well-preserved examples are at Rome (see Colosseum), Verona, and Capua in Italy; at Nîmes and Arles in France; at Cirencester in England; and at sites in Sicily, Greece, and North Africa. The typical amphitheater was elliptical in shape, with seats, supported on vaults of masonry, rising in many tiers around an arena at the center; corridors and stairs facilitated the circulation of great throngs. The arena itself was usually built over the quarters for gladiators, wild animals, and storage. Until the erection of the Colosseum (A.D. 80), practically all amphitheaters were of wood, the notable exception being that of stone built at Pompeii c.70 B.C. The word amphitheater is now applied to modern structures which may bear little resemblance to their ancient prototypes.


 
Translations: Amphitheatre
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Dansk (Danish)
n. - amfiteater

Français (French)
n. - amphithéâtre, arènes, cirque

Deutsch (German)
n. - Amphitheater

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - αμφιθέατρο, (ιατρ.) χειρουργείο

Italiano (Italian)
anfiteatro

Português (Portuguese)
n. - anfiteatro (m) (Arquit.)

Русский (Russian)
амфитеатр

Español (Spanish)
n. - anfiteatro

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - amfiteater

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
圆形剧场, 竞技场

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 圓形劇場, 競技場

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 원형 경기장, 계단식[좌석, 교실, 광장]

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 円形演技場, アンフィシアター

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮אמפיתיאטרון, יציע חצי-מעגלי בתיאטרון, חלל עגול גדול, מקום תחרות‬


 
 

 

Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Architecture. McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Architecture and Construction. Copyright © 2003 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/  Read more
Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved.  Read more