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an oval or round building with tiers of seats around a central open area, as those used in ancient rome for gladiatorial contests.
any similar place for public contests, games, performances, exhibitions, etc.; an arena, stadium, or auditorium.
a room having tiers of seats arranged around a central area, in which students and other observers can view surgery, hear lectures, etc.
british.

the first section of seats in the gallery of a theater.
a designated section of seats in any part of a theater.

a level area of oval or circular shape surrounded by rising ground.
historical examples

he had risen also; they stood side by side under the statue of diana; some people had come into the amphitheatre below.
dorothy and other italian stories constance fenimore woolson

it is the chief town of somersetshire, and is surrounded by an amphitheatre of hills.
england, picturesque and descriptive joel cook

the amphitheatre bent above the parquette its garland of diamonds, hair, gauze, and satin.
the red lily, complete anatole france

we all sat in a row, on steps, as in an amphitheatre, but in straight lines.
memoirs charles g-dfrey leland

the larger axis of the amphitheatre was apparently about one hundred and ten yards, and the shorter eighty-five or thereabouts.
old rome robert burn

the amphitheatre is still in existence, and was excavated in 1887.
pagan and christian rome rodolfo lanciani

kirby, on the threshold of the amphitheatre, squared his shoulders and held his head high.
astounding stories of super-science, december 1930 various

there was a large lodge, built in shape of an amphitheatre, with a hole in the centre.
three years on the plains edmund b. tuttle

to the roman period belong the remains of an amphitheatre and numerous inscriptions.
encyclopaedia britannica, 11th edition, volume 2, slice 8 various

within the amphitheatre which he first entered as a prisoner, alroy sat in council.
alroy benjamin disraeli

noun
a building, usually circular or oval, in which tiers of seats rise from a central open arena, as in those of ancient rome
a place where contests are held; arena
any level circular area of ground surrounded by higher ground

the first tier of seats in the gallery of a theatre
any similarly designated seating area in a theatre

a lecture room in which seats are tiered away from a central area
n.

chiefly british english spelling of amphitheater. see -er.
n.

late 14c., from latin amphitheatrum, from greek amphitheatron “double theater, amphitheater,” neuter of amphitheatros “with spectators all around,” from amphi- “on both sides” (see amphi-) + theatron “theater” (see theater). cl-ssical theaters were semi-circles, thus two together made an amphi-theater.