ārĕa (in inscriptions freq. ARIA, Inscr. Orell. 4130, etc.), ae
* F [some comp. ἔραζε = on the ground; Germ. Erde; Engl. earth, hearth; others, as Varro and Festus, connected it with areo, as if pr. dry land, as terra may be connected with torreo; so Bopp and Curt.], a piece of level ground, a vacant place, esp. in the town (syn.: planities, aequor): in urbe loca pura areae,Varr. L. L. 5, § 38 Müll: area proprie dicitur locus vacuus, Paul. ex Fest. p. 11 Müll.: locus sine aedificio in urbe area; rure autem ager appellatur,Dig. 50, 16, 211.
* Lit., ground for a house, a building-spot: si Ponendae domo quaerenda est area primum,Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 13. arearum electio, Vitr. 1, 7, 1: pontifices si sustulerint religionem, aream praeclaram habebimus,Cic. Att. 4, 1 fin.; Liv. 4, 16; 1, 55; Suet. Vesp. 8; Dig. 7, 4, 10 al.
* Transf.
* A vacant space around or in a house, a court (syn. spatium): resedimus in areā domŭs,Plin. Ep. 6, 20, 4; so id. ib. 7, 27, 10; Vulg. 3 Reg. 22, 10; Dig. 43, 22, 1; 8, 2, 1 al.
* A fowling-floor, Plaut. As. 1, 3, 64: aedes nobis area est; auceps sum ego,id. ib. 1, 3, 67.
* A burying-ground, church-yard, Tert. ad Scap. 3.
* A bald spot upon the head, baldness, Cels. 6, 4; Mart. 5, 50.
* The halo around the sun or moon: tales splendores Graeci areas (i. e. ἅλωνας) vocavere, Sen. Q. N. 1, 2.
* A bed or border in a garden, Varr. L. L. 6, § 64 Müll.; Col. 11, 3; Plin. 19, 4, 20, § 60; Pall. 1, 34.

s. TLL