The formula for finding the area of a circle is:
\[ A = \pi r^2 \]
where:
- \( A \) represents the area of the circle,
- \( \pi \) (pi) is a mathematical constant approximately equal to 3.14159,
- \( r \) is the length of the radius of the circle.
In this context, you multiply \( \pi \) by the length of the radius squared (i.e., \( r^2 \)).
So, the correct answer to your prompt is "a radius squared."