Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

area

 - 6 dictionary results

ar⋅e⋅a

  [air-ee-uh]
Use area in a Sentence
–noun
1. any particular extent of space or surface; part: the dark areas in the painting; the dusty area of the room.
2. a geographical region; tract: the Chicago area; the unsettled areas along the frontier.
3. any section reserved for a specific function: the business area of a town; the dining area of a house.
4. extent, range, or scope: inquiries that embrace the whole area of science.
5. field of study, or a branch of a field of study: Related areas of inquiry often reflect borrowed notions.
6. a piece of unoccupied ground; an open space.
7. the space or site on which a building stands; the yard attached to or surrounding a house.
8. British. areaway (def. 1).
9. the quantitative measure of a plane or curved surface; two-dimensional extent.
10. Anatomy. a zone of the cerebral cortex having a specific function: The damage to Broca's area affected his speech.
Origin:
1530–40; < L ārea vacant piece of level ground, open space in a town, threshing floor; perh. akin to ārēre to be dry. See arid

Related forms:
ar⋅e⋅al, adjective
ar⋅e⋅al⋅ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To area
ar·e·a   (âr'ē-ə)   


(click for larger image in new window)
n.  

  1. A roughly bounded part of the space on a surface; a region: a farming area; the New York area.

  2. A surface, especially an open, unoccupied piece of ground: a landing area; a playing area.

  3. A distinct part or section, as of a building, set aside for a specific function: a storage area in the basement.

  4. A division of experience, activity, or knowledge; a field: studies in the area of finance; a job in the health-care area.

  5. An open, sunken space next to a building; an areaway.

  6. Abbr. A The extent of a planar region or of the surface of a solid measured in square units.

  7. Computer Science A section of storage set aside for a particular purpose.


[Latin ārea, open space; possibly akin to ārēre, to be dry; see arid.]
ar'e·al adj., ar'e·al·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

area 
1538, "vacant piece of ground," from L. area "level ground, open space," of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to arere "to become dry," on notion of a burned clearing or dry, bare space. The generic sense of "amount of surface (whether open or not) contained within any set of limits" is from 1845. Area code in N.Amer. telephone systems is attested from 1961.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: ar·ea
Pronunciation: 'ar-E-&, 'er-
Function: noun
: a part of the cerebral cortex having a particular function —see ASSOCIATION AREA, MOTOR AREA, SENSORY AREA
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

area ar·e·a (âr'ē-ə)
n. pl. ar·e·as or ar·e·ae (-ē-ē')

  1. A circumscribed surface or space.

  2. All of a part that is supplied by a given artery or nerve.

  3. A part of an organ having a special function.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Idioms & Phrases

area

see gray area.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see area on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way