Etymology : Latin, open space, threshing floor; perhaps akin to Latin arEre to be dry; more at ARID
Pronunciation : ar-E-&, er-; A-rE-&
Function : noun
Date : 1538
1. region, domain. area\a"re*a\ (ā"r&esl;*&adot;; 277), n.; pl. areas (-&adot;z) [l. area a broad piece of level ground. cf. are, n.].
2. any plane surface, as of the floor of a room or church, or of the ground within an inclosure; an open space in a building. the alban lake looks like the area of some vast amphitheater.
3. the inclosed space on which a building stands.
4. the sunken space or court, giving ingress and affording light to the basement of a building.
5. an extent of surface; a tract of the earth's surface; a region; as, vast uncultivated areas.
6. (geom.) the superficial contents of any figure; the surface included within any given lines; superficial extent; as, the area of a square or a triangle.
7. (biol.) a spot or small marked space; as, the germinative area.
8. extent; scope; range; as, a wide area of thought. the largest area of human history and man's common nature. harrison.
9. Any plane surface, as of the floor of a room or church, or of the ground within an inclosure; an open space in a building.
10. The inclosed space on which a building stands.
11. The sunken space or court, giving ingress and affording light to the basement of a building.
12. An extent of surface; a tract of the earth's surface; a region; as, vast uncultivated areas.
13. The superficial contents of any figure; the surface included within any given lines; superficial extent; as, the area of a square or a triangle.
14. A spot or small marked space; as, the germinative area.
15. Extent; scope; range; as, a wide area of thought. a part of a structure having some specific characteristic or function; "the spacious cooking area provided plenty of room for servants" the extent of a 2-dimensional surface enclosed within a boundary; "the area of a rectangle"; "it was about 500 square feet in area" a part of an animal that has a special function or is supplied by a given artery or nerve; "in the abdominal region" a subject of study; "it was his area of specialization"; "areas of interest include..." a particular geographical region of indefinite boundary ; "it was a mountainous area"; "Bible country".
16. 1. An area is a particular part of a town, a country, a region, or the world. the large number of community groups in the area 60 years ago half the French population still lived in rural areas.
17. Your area is the part of a town, country, or region where you live. An organization's area is the part of a town, country, or region that it is responsible for. Local authorities have been responsible for the running of schools in their areas If there is an election in your area, you should go and vote.
18. A particular area is a piece of land or part of a building that is used for a particular activity. a picnic area. the main check-in area located in Terminal.
19. 4. An area is a particular place on a surface or object, for example on your body. You will notice that your baby has two soft areas on the top of his head.
20. The area of a surface such as a piece of land is the amount of flat space or ground that it covers, measured in square units. The islands cover a total area of 625.6 square kilometers.
21. You can use area to refer to a particular subject or topic, or to a particular part of a larger, more general situation or activity. the politically sensitive area of old age pensions.
22. On a football pitch, the area is the same as the penalty area. = box see also:
catchment area, disaster area, grey area, penalty area.