hippodrome

noun

hip·​po·​drome ˈhi-pə-ˌdrōm 

1

: an oval stadium for horse and chariot races in ancient Greece

2

: an arena for equestrian performances

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

In La Teste-de-Buch, firefighters have turned the local hippodrome into a temporary headquarters, buzzing with fire trucks. —New York Times, 19 July 2022

Pictured from the back, the lithe figure of a boy sits, insouciant, atop a railing that surrounds the hippodrome. —The New Yorker, 13 May 2022

But from Dan Patch Avenue to the hippodrome, the pair’s fame lives on with every beloved horse shown at the fair. —Staff Star Tribune, Star Tribune, 28 Aug. 2020

Witnesses to the attack near the Roman hippodrome said a man dressed in black and either bearded or with his face covered rushed at a group without warning shortly after 11 a.m. and began stabbing people indiscriminately. —Steve Hendrix, Washington Post, 6 Nov. 2019

The remains of the ancient aqueduct, theater, hippodrome, and bathhouses make for a daylong adventure. Snorkeling or scuba diving is available in the ancient harbor through the Old Caesarea Diving Center. —National Geographic, 16 Apr. 2019

And the channel, according to the archaeologists, was built long after the hippodrome had been repurposed as an industrial building under the Byzantine Empire and then a burial ground under the Umayyads. —Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, 30 May 2018

The hotel was a hit and was soon followed with a plunge, a pleasure pier and a hippodrome. —Scott Garner, latimes.com, 6 Apr. 2018

Patrick demonstrates the hippodrome, which requires standing up while riding. —Shauna Steigerwald, Cincinnati.com, 7 Sep. 2017

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Word History

Etymology

Middle French, from Latin hippodromos, from Greek, from hippos + dromos racecourse — more at dromedary

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

hippodrome

noun

hip·​po·​drome ˈhip-ə-ˌdrōm 

1

: an oval stadium for horse and chariot races in ancient Greece

2

: an arena for spectacles (as horse shows or circuses)