| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| circle |
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| SYLLABICATION: | cir·cle |
| PRONUNCIATION: |  sûr k l |
| NOUN: | 1. A plane curve everywhere equidistant from a given fixed point, the center. 2. A planar region bounded by a circle. 3. Something, such as a ring, shaped like such a plane curve. 4. A circular course, circuit, or orbit: a satellite's circle around the earth. 5. A traffic circle. 6. A curved section or tier of seats in a theater. 7. A series or process that finishes at its starting point or continuously repeats itself; a cycle. 8. A group of people sharing an interest, activity, or achievement: well-known in artistic circles. 9. A territorial or administrative division, especially of a province, in some European countries. 10. A sphere of influence or interest; domain. 11. Logic A vicious circle. | | VERB: | Inflected forms: cir·cled, cir·cling, cir·cles
| | TRANSITIVE VERB: | 1. To make or form a circle around; enclose. See synonyms at surround. 2. To move in a circle around. | | INTRANSITIVE VERB: | To move in a circle. See synonyms at turn. | | IDIOM: | circle the wagons To take a defensive position; become defensive. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Middle English cercle, from Old French, from Latin circulus, diminutive of circus, circle, from Greek kirkos, krikos. See sker-2 in Appendix I. | | OTHER FORMS: | circler (-klr) —NOUN
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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