or Colosseum, in the ancient architecture, an oval amphitheatre, built at Rome by Vespasian, in the place where stood the bason of Nero's gilded house. The word is formed from coloicum, on account of the colossus of Nero that stood near it; or, according to Nardini, from the Italian colifco. In this were placed statues, representing all the provinces of the empire; in the middle whereof stood that of Rome, holding a golden apple in her hand. The same term, colifco, is also given to another amphitheatre of the emperor Severus. In these colifco were represented games, and combats of men and wild beasts; but there is now little remaining of either of them, time and war having reduced them to ruins.