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ārĕa (in inscriptions freq. ARIA, Inscr. Orell. 4130, etc.), ae,
I.f [some comp. ἔραζε = on the ground; Germ. Erde; Engl. earth, hearth; others, as Varro and Festus, connected it with areo, as if pr. dry land, as terra may be connected with torreo; so Bopp and Curt.], a piece of level ground, a vacant place, esp. in the town (syn.: “planities, aequor): in urbe loca pura areae,Varr. L. L. 5, § 38 Müll: area proprie dicitur locus vacuus, Paul. ex Fest. p. 11 Müll.: locus sine aedificio in urbe area; “rure autem ager appellatur,Dig. 50, 16, 211.
I. Lit., ground for a house, a building-spot: “si Ponendae domo quaerenda est area primum,Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 13. arearum electio, Vitr. 1, 7, 1: “pontifices si sustulerint religionem, aream praeclaram habebimus,Cic. Att. 4, 1 fin.; Liv. 4, 16; 1, 55; Suet. Vesp. 8; Dig. 7, 4, 10 al.
II. Transf.
A. A vacant space around or in a house, a court (syn. spatium): “resedimus in areā domŭs,Plin. Ep. 6, 20, 4; so id. ib. 7, 27, 10; Vulg. 3 Reg. 22, 10; Dig. 43, 22, 1; 8, 2, 1 al.
B. An open space for games, an open play-ground (syn.: “campus, curriculum),Hor. C. 1, 9, 18.— Hence, in gen., a field for effort, etc. (syn.: “campus, locus, q. v.),Ov. Am. 3, 1, 26, and trop.: “area scelerum,” i. e. where vices have full scope, Cic. Att. 9, 18.—Also, a raceground, Ov. F. 4, 10 (cf. id. ib. 2, 360); and trop., the course of life: “vitae tribus areis peractis (i. e. pueritiā, juventute, senectute),Mart. 10, 24.—
C. A threshing floor (among the ancients, an open space in the vicinity of the house).
1. Lit.: “neque in segetibus neque in areis neque in horreis,Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 8; Hor. C. 1, 1, 10; id. S. 1, 1, 45; Tib. 1, 5, 22; Vulg. Gen. 50, 10; ib. Isa. 21, 10. Its construction may be learned from Cato, R. R. 91 and 129; Varr. R. R. 1, 51; Verg. G. 1, 178 sqq. Voss; Col. 5, 1, 4; 5, 2, 20; and Pall. 1, 36 al.
2. Trop., of the body of Christians, as subject to separation, judgment (eccl. Lat.), Vulg. Matt. 3, 12; Aug. Ver. Rel. 5.—
D. The halo around the sun or moon: tales splendores Graeci areas (i. e. ἅλωνας) vocavere, Sen. Q. N. 1, 2.—
E. A bed or border in a garden, Varr. L. L. 6, § 64 Müll.; Col. 11, 3; Plin. 19, 4, 20, § 60; Pall. 1, 34.—
F. A fowling-floor, Plaut. As. 1, 3, 64: aedes nobis area est; “auceps sum ego,id. ib. 1, 3, 67.—
G. A burying-ground, church-yard, Tert. ad Scap. 3. —
H. A bald spot upon the head, baldness, Cels. 6, 4; Mart. 5, 50.
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hide References (23 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (23):
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 4.1
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 9.18
    • New Testament, Matthew, 3.12
    • Old Testament, Isaiah, 21.10
    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.3.19
    • Vergil, Georgics, 1.178
    • Old Testament, 1 Kings, 22.10
    • Old Testament, Genesis, 50.10
    • Horace, Satires, 1.1.45
    • Vitruvius, On Architecture, 1.7.1
    • Plautus, Asinaria, 1.3
    • Suetonius, Divus Vespasianus, 8
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 19.60
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 7.27
    • Pliny the Younger, Epistulae, 6.20.4
    • A. Cornelius Celsus, De Medicina, 6.4
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 4, 16
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 1, 55
    • Columella, Res Rustica, 5.1.4
    • Martial, Epigrammata, 10.24
    • Martial, Epigrammata, 5.50
    • Ovid, Fasti, 2
    • Ovid, Fasti, 4
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