στάδιον
Etym. pl. στάδια and στάδιοι, but never στάδιος in sg.
Etym. στῆναι
I. a fixed standard of length, "a stade, =" 100 ὀργυιαί or 6 πλέθρα, i. e. 600 Greek or 606 3/4 English feet, about 1/8 of a "Roman mile", Polyb.: —ἑκατὸν σταδίοισιν ἄριστος ""best by" a hundred miles, " Ar.; πλεῖν ἢ σταδίῳ λαλίστερος more loquacious than "a mile" and more, id=Ar.
II. "a race-course" (that of Olympia being a stade long), Pind., etc.; ἀγωνίζεσθαι στ. to run "a race", Hdt.; στ. νικᾶν to win one, Xen.