/ ˈhɪpədrəʊm; NAmE -droʊm/ noun
1.
( BrE ) used in the names of some theatres and concert halls
2.
( NAmE ) an arena , especially one used for horse shows
3.
a track in ancient Greece or Rome on which horse races or chariot races took place
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WORD ORIGIN
late 16th cent. (in sense 3): from French , via Latin from Greek hippodromos , from hippos horse + dromos race, course. The early sense led to the term's use as a grandiose name for a modern circus, later applied to other places of popular entertainment (sense 1, late 19th cent.).