n. [ F., fr. L. area. See Area. ] (Metric system) The unit of superficial measure, being a square of which each side is ten meters in length; 100 square meters, or about 119.6 square yards. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ AS. (Northumbrian) aron, akin to the 1st pers. pl. forms, Icel. erum, Goth. sijum, L. sumus, Gr. &unr_;, Skr. smas; all from a root as. &unr_; See Am and Is, and cf. Be. ] The present indicative plural of the substantive verb to be; but etymologically a different word from be, or was. Am, art, are, and is, all come from the root as. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Areas [ L. area a broad piece of level ground. Cf. Are, n. ] 1. Any plane surface, as of the floor of a room or church, or of the ground within an inclosure; an open space in a building. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Alban lake . . . looks like the area of some vast amphitheater. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The inclosed space on which a building stands. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The sunken space or court, giving ingress and affording light to the basement of a building. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. An extent of surface; a tract of the earth's surface; a region; as, vast uncultivated areas. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Geom.) The superficial contents of any figure; the surface included within any given lines; superficial extent; as, the area of a square or a triangle. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Biol.) A spot or small marked space; as, the germinative area. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. Extent; scope; range; as, a wide area of thought. [ 1913 Webster ]

The largest area of human history and man's common nature. F. Harrison. [ 1913 Webster ]

Dry area. See under Dry. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. L. arealis, fr. area. ] Of or pertaining to an area; as, areal interstices (the areas or spaces inclosed by the reticulate vessels of leaves). [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. [ See Arrear, adv. ] Backward; in or to the rear; behindhand. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. & i. [ AS. ār&aemacr_;ran. See Rear. ] To raise; to set up; to stir up. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Canarese adiki: cf. Pg. & Sp. areca. ] (Bot.) A genus of palms, one species of which (Areca catechu) produces the areca nut, or betel nut, which is chewed in India and Southeast Asia with the leaf of the Piper Betle and lime. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

n. 1. 1 one of four subclasses or superorder of Monocotyledones; comprises about 6400 species in 5 families of trees and shrubs and terrestrial herbs and a few free-floating aquatics including: Palmae; Araceae; Pandanaceae: and Lemnaceae.
Syn. -- subclass Arecidae [ WordNet 1.5 ]

{ } v. t. [ OE. areden, AS. ār&aemacr_;dan to interpret. See Read. ] 1. To tell, declare, explain, or interpret; to divine; to guess; as, to aread a riddle or a dream. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Therefore more plain aread this doubtful case. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To read. [ Obs. ] Drayton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To counsel, advise, warn, or direct. [ 1913 Webster ]

But mark what I aread thee now. Avaunt! Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To decree; to adjudge. [ Archaic ] Ld. Lytton. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. & a. [ Pref. a- + reek. ] In a reeking condition. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]