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illustration Hippodrome

Hippodrome

[HIP-ə-drohm]

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, 16th century

1.

A theater or other performance venue.

2.

(In ancient Greece or Rome) A course for chariot or horse races.

Examples of Hippodrome in a sentence

"When we heard who was playing at the hippodrome this weekend, we got tickets for the whole family."

"The historic Hippodrome Theater is more often used for conventions rather than stage shows now, but it still welcomes thousands of people a year."

About Hippodrome

“Hippodrome” is a French loanword related to the ancient Greek “ἱππόδρομος” (“hippódromos”), formed by combining “ἵππος” (“híppos,” or “horse”) with “δρόμος” (“drómos,” or “course”).

Did you Know?

In ancient Greece or Rome, “hippodrome” was originally a term for a horse or chariot race, but in French-speaking countries, the term is still in use to describe racetracks for horses, as well as for bicycle racing. The French-speaking world has not given up on the prefix “hippos-,” meaning “horse”; however, in English-speaking countries, “hippodromes” are theaters. Most of the time, these venues have no connection to horse or bicycle racing.

illustration Hippodrome

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