noun
- a round or oval building with an open space (arena) surrounded by rising rows of seats
- a scene of conflict, competition, etc.; arena
- a sloping gallery in a theater
- a lecture hall with a sloping gallery, esp. one for observing surgical procedures in a medical school or hospital
- a level place surrounded by rising ground
Origin:
L amphitheatrum < Gr amphitheatron: see amphi- & theater