: an ancient Greek portico usually walled at the back with a front colonnade designed to afford a sheltered promenade

Examples of stoa in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Its name is actually derived from the Greek stoa, meaning porch, because that’s where Zeon first taught his students. Brent Gleeson, Forbes, 27 Jan. 2023 Its founders met around 300 BC in Athens to talk philosophy under a shady portico called a stoa. Gregory Hays, The New York Review of Books, 11 Mar. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Greek; akin to Greek stylos pillar — more at steer

First Known Use

1603, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stoa was in 1603

Dictionary Entries Near stoa

Cite this Entry

“Stoa.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stoa. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on stoa

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!