area definition

1. <architecture> Any plane surface, as of the floor of a room, or of the ground within an inclosure; an open space in a building.

2. The inclosed space on which a building stands.

3. The sunken space or court, giving ingress and affording light to the basement of a building.

4. An extent of surface; a tract of the earth's surface; a region; as, vast uncultivated areas.

5. <geometry> The superficial contents of any figure; the surface included within any given lines; superficial extent; as, the area of a square or a triangle.

6. A spot or small marked space; as, the germinative area.

7. Extent; scope; range; as, a wide area of thought. "The largest area of human history and man's common nature." (F. Harrison)

Origin: L. Area a broad piece of level gro. Cf. Are.