arena

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin arēna (“sand, arena”), from an earlier *hasēna (compare Sabine fasēna), possibly from Etruscan.

noun

1. An enclosed area, often outdoor, for the presentation of sporting events (sports arena) or other spectacular events; earthen area, often oval, specifically for rodeos (North America) or circular area for bullfights (especially Hispanic America).
   A large crowd filled the seats of the arena.
2. The building housing such an area; specifically, a very large, often round building, often topped with a dome, designated for indoor sporting or other major events, such as concerts.
   The arena is grey with white beams.
3. (historical) The sand-covered centre of an amphitheatre where contests were held in Ancient Rome.
   The gladiators entered the arena.
4. A realm in which events take place; an area of interest, study, behaviour, etc.
   The company was a player in the maritime insurance arena.
   But transects have also been utilised in a large variety of arenas, including surveying the contents of Amerindian earthen mounds, determining levels of anti-rabies vaccinations in village dogs, and examining ecological factors under the canopy of trees growing in agricultural areas. 2019, Li Huang, James Lambert, “Another Arrow for the Quiver: A New Methodology for Multilingual Researchers”, in Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, →DOI, page 4
   To Musk, his vast fortune is a mere side effect of his ability not just to see but to do things others cannot, in arenas where the stakes are existential. December 13 2021, Molly Ball, Jeffrey Kluger, Alejandro de la Garza, “Elon Musk: Person of the Year 2021”, in Time