hippodrome

noun hip·po·drome \ ˈhi-pə-ˌdrōm \

Definition of hippodrome

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

2 : an arena for equestrian performances

Recent Examples of hippodrome from the Web

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, "Decades of aerial photos reveal how an ancient desert city got its water," 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, "Neighborhood Spotlight: Redondo Beach, though pricey, is not quite a South Bay A-lister," 6 Apr. 2018
Patrick demonstrates the hippodrome, which requires standing up while riding.

— shauna steigerwald, Cincinnati.com, "Horse riding gets fancy at the Old West Fest," 7 Sep. 2017
Al-Rashid built a complex of palaces to the north and several canals and held horse races at Raqqa's hippodrome.

— Bloomberg.com, "In Syria's Raqqa, Old City Wall a Testament to Glorious Days," 4 July 2017
Al-Rashid built a complex of palaces to the north and several canals and held horse races at Raqqa’s hippodrome.

— Washington Post, "In Syria’s Raqqa, Old City wall a testament to glorious days," 4 July 2017
Other buildings, like the former hippodrome arena, have been converted into event spaces.

— seattle sketcher gabriel campanario, The Seattle Times, "Carnation Farms, namesake of a town and a worldwide milk brand, welcomes visitors again," 13 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hippodrome.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of hippodrome

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1585

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other History Terms

agonistic, carpetbagger, enceinte, fief, historiography, paladin

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See words that rhyme with hippodrome Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hippodrome

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hippodrome

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