English Explanatory Dictionary

circle

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A two-dimensional geometric figure, a line, consisting of the set of all those points in a plane that are equally distant from a given point (center).
  2. A two-dimensional geometric figure, a disk, consisting of the set of all those points of a plane at a distance less than or equal to a fixed distance (radius) from a given point.
  3. Any shape, curve or arrangement of objects that approximates to or resembles the geometric figures.
  4. Any thin three-dimensional equivalent of the geometric figures.
  5. A curve that more or less forms part or all of a circle.
  6. A specific group of persons; especially one who shares a common interest.
  7. Synonym of doujin circle.
  8. The orbit of an astronomical body.
  9. A line comprising two semicircles of 30 yards radius centred on the wickets joined by straight lines parallel to the pitch used to enforce field restrictions in a one-day match.
  10. A ritual circle that is cast three times deosil and closes three times widdershins either in the air with a wand or literally with stones or other items used for worship.
  11. A traffic circle or roundabout.
  12. Compass; circuit; enclosure.
verb
  1. To travel around along a curved path.
  2. To surround.
  3. To place or mark a circle around.
  4. To travel in circles.
  5. To take part in a magic circle.
name
  1. A census-designated place in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States. Erroneously thought to be on the Arctic Circle, which is 50 miles further north.
  2. A town, the county seat of McCone County, Montana, United States. Named after a cattle brand in the form of a circle.
  3. the Circle line of the London Underground, originally the Inner Circle.
name
  1. A surname from German.

Pronunciation

/ˈsɜɹkəl/ sûrʹ-kəl /ˈsɜːkəl/ /ˈsɪɹkəl/ en-us-circle.ogg en-au-circle.ogg

Word forms

circle circles circling circled

Etymology

Etymology tree Ancient Greek κίρκος (kírkos)bor. Latin circus Proto-Indo-European *-lós Proto-Indo-European *-elós Proto-Italic *-elos Latin -ulus Latin circulus Old French cerclebor. Middle English circle English circle From Middle English circle, cercle, from Old French cercle and Latin circulus, diminutive of Latin circus (“circle, circus”), from Ancient Greek κίρκος (kírkos, “circle, ring”), related to Old English hring (“ring”). Compare also Old English ċircul (“circle, zodiac”), which came from the same Latin source. By surface analysis, Latin circ(us) + -(u)le.

Synonyms

disc disk round coil ring loop bunch gang group doujin circle gyrate

Related words

circular circulate circus

Derived words

Antarctic Circle Apollonian circle Arctic Circle azimuth circle babysitting circle Bevan circle blood circle blue circle rate bolt circle Brocard circle Carlyle circle Cartesian circle center circle centre circle circle-A circle back circle changeup circle contact lens circle dance circle-ellipse problem circle game circle gets the square circle group circle inversion circle-ish circle-jerk circlejerk circle jerk circle jerker circle lens circlelike circle marriage circleness circle of antisimilitude circle of Apollonius circle of fifths circle of friends circle of life circle of the gorge circle of Willis circle pit circle progression circler circle runner circle sector circle segment circle sentence circle sentencing circle skirt circle strafe circle-strafe circle time Circleville circlewise circley circline circlip circlish circloid circulene

Translations

Arabic: حَلْقَة Armenian: շրջապատ Armenian: խմբակ Azerbaijani: dərnək Breton: kelc'h Bulgarian: кръг Bulgarian: кръжец Catalan: penya Chinese Mandarin: 圈子 Crimean Tatar: tögerek Czech: kruh Czech: kroužek Dalmatian: circol Danish: kreds Dutch: kring Dutch: groep Esperanto: rondo Finnish: piiri Georgian: წრე German: Kreis German: Zirkel Greek: κύκλος Hawaiian: pōhai Hawaiian: pōʻai Hebrew: חוג Italian: circolo Italian: gruppo Italian: cenacolo Italian: congrega Italian: associazione Japanese: サークル Korean: 서클 Latin: corona Latvian: loks Malayalam: വൃത്തം Norwegian Bokmål: krets Norwegian Nynorsk: krins Pashto: حلقه Persian: جرگه Polish: krąg Polish: koło Portuguese: círculo Russian: круг Russian: кружо́к Scottish Gaelic: còmhlan Scottish Gaelic: cearcall Slovene: krog Spanish: círculo Spanish: grupo Spanish: tertulia Spanish: mundillo Swedish: krets Thai: วง Thai: แวดวง Thai: วงการ Ottoman Turkish: جمعیت Ottoman Turkish: انجمن Ottoman Turkish: محفل Urdu: حلقہ Uyghur: كۇرۇژوك
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