| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| area |
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| SYLLABICATION: | ar·e·a |
| PRONUNCIATION: |  âr  - |
| NOUN: | 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. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Latin  rea, open space; akin to possibly akin to rre, to be dry. See arid. | | OTHER FORMS: | are·al —ADJECTIVE
are·al·ly —ADVERB
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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