Definitions for circle
ˈsɜr kəlcir·cle

Princeton's WordNet(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. circlenoun

   ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point

   "he calculated the circumference of the circle"

2. set, circle, band, lotnoun

   an unofficial association of people or groups

   "the smart set goes there"; "they were an angry lot"

3. circlenoun

   something approximating the shape of a circle

   "the chairs were arranged in a circle"

4. lap, circle, circuitnoun

   movement once around a course

   "he drove an extra lap just for insurance"

5. traffic circle, circle, rotary, roundaboutnoun

   a road junction at which traffic streams circularly around a central island

   "the accident blocked all traffic at the rotary"

6. R-2, Mexican valium, rophy, rope, roofy, roach, forget me drug, circlenoun

   street names for flunitrazepan

7. circle, dress circlenoun

   a curved section or tier of seats in a hall or theater or opera house; usually the first tier above the orchestra

   "they had excellent seats in the dress circle"

8. circle, roundverb

   any circular or rotating mechanism

   "the machine punched out metal circles"

9. circleverb

   travel around something

   "circle the globe"

10. circle, circulateverb

    move in circles

11. encircle, circleverb

    form a circle around

    "encircle the errors"

Wiktionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. circlenoun

   A two-dimensional geometric figure, a line, consisting of the set of all those points in a plane that are equally distant from another point.

   The set of all points (x, y) such that uE00025290uE001 is a circle of radius r around the point (1, 0).

2. circlenoun

   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 from another point.

3. circlenoun

   Any thin three-dimensional equivalent of the geometric figures.

   Put on your dunce-cap and sit down on that circle.

4. circlenoun

   A curve that more or less forms part or all of a circle.

   move in a circle

5. circlenoun

   Orbit.

6. circlenoun

   A specific group of persons.

7. circlenoun

   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.

8. circlenoun

   A ritual circle that is casted three times deosil and closes three times widdershins either in the air with a wand or literally with stones or other itmes used for worship

9. circleverb

   To travel around along a curved path.

10. circleverb

    To surround.

11. circleverb

    To place or mark a circle around.

    Circle the jobs that you are interested in applying for.

12. circleverb

    To travel in circles.

    Vultures circled overhead.

13. Etymology: From circulus. Replaced Middle English cercle from Old French.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. CIRCLEnoun

   Etymology: circulus, Latin.

   1. A line continued ’till it ends where it begun, having all its parts equidistant from a common center.

   Any thing, that moves round about in a circle, in less time than our ideas are wont to succeed one another in our minds, is not perceived to move; but seems to be a perfect intire circle of that matter, or colour, and not a part of a circle in motion. John Locke.

   Then a deeper still,
   In circle following circle, gathers round
   To close the face of things. James Thomson, Summer.

   2. The space included in a circular line.3. A round body; an orb.

   It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth. Is. xi. 22.

   4. Compass; inclosure.

   A great magician,
   Obscured in the circle of the forest. William Shakespeare, As you like it.

   5. An assembly surrounding the principal person.

   To have a box where eunuchs sing,
   And, foremost in the circle, eye a king. Alexander Pope, Hor. Ep. i.

   6. A company; an assembly.

   I will call over to him the whole circle of beauties that are disposed among the boxes. Joseph Addison, Guardian, №. 10.

   Ever since that time, Lisander visits in every circle. Tatler.

   7. Any series ending as it begins, and perpetually repeated.

   There be divers fruit-trees in the hot countries, which have blossoms and young fruit, and young fruit and ripe fruit, almost all the year, succeeding one another; but this circle of ripening cannot be but in succulent plants, and hot countries. Francis Bacon, Natural History, №. 581.

   Thus in a circle runs the peasant’s pain,
   And the year rolls within itself again. John Dryden, Virg. Geor.

   8. An inconclusive form of argument, in which the foregoing proposition is proved by the following, and the following proposition inferred from the foregoing.

   That heavy bodies descend by gravity; and again, that gravity is a quality whereby an heavy body descends, is an impertinent circle, and teacheth nothing. Joseph Glanvill, Sceps. c. 20.

   That fallacy called a circle, is when one of the premisses in a syllogism is questioned and opposed, and we intend to prove it by the conclusion. Isaac Watts, Logick.

   9. Circumlocution; indirect form of words.

   Has he given the lye
   In circle or oblique, or semicircle,
   Or direct parallel? You must challenge him. John Fletcher, Q. of Cor.

   10. Circles of the German Empire.Such provinces and principalities as have a right to be present at diets. They are in number ten. Antoine Furetière

2. To Circleverb

   Etymology: from the noun.

   1. To move round any thing.

   The lords that were appointed to circle the hill, had some days before planted themselves in places convenient. Francis Bacon.

   Another Cynthia her new journey runs,
   And other planets circle other suns. Alexander Pope, Dunciad, b. iii.

   2. To inclose; to surround.

   What stern ungentle hands
   Have lopp’d and hew’d, and made thy body bare
   Of her two branches, those sweet ornaments,
   Whose circling shadows kings have sought to sleep in. William Shakespeare.

   While these fond arms, thus circling you, may prove
   More heavy chains than those of hopeless love. Matthew Prior.

   Unseen, he glided thro’ the joyous crowd,
   With darkness circled, and an ambient cloud. Alexander Pope, Odyss.

   3. To Circle in. To confine; to keep together.

   We term those things dry which have a consistence within themselves, and which, to enjoy a determinate figure, do not require the stop or hindrance of another body to limit and circle them in. Kenelm Digby, on Bodies.

3. To Circleverb

   To move circularly; to end where it begins.

   The well fraught bowl
   Circles Incessant; whilst the humble cell
   With quavering laugh, and rural jests, resounds. Philips.

   Now the circling years disclose
   The day predestin’d to reward his woes. Alexander Pope, Odyss.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Circlenoun

   a plane figure, bounded by a single curve line called its circumference, every part of which is equally distant from a point within it, called the center

2. Circlenoun

   the line that bounds such a figure; a circumference; a ring

3. Circlenoun

   an instrument of observation, the graduated limb of which consists of an entire circle

4. Circlenoun

   a round body; a sphere; an orb

5. Circlenoun

   compass; circuit; inclosure

6. Circlenoun

   a company assembled, or conceived to assemble, about a central point of interest, or bound by a common tie; a class or division of society; a coterie; a set

7. Circlenoun

   a circular group of persons; a ring

8. Circlenoun

   a series ending where it begins, and repeating itself

9. Circlenoun

   a form of argument in which two or more unproved statements are used to prove each other; inconclusive reasoning

10. Circlenoun

    indirect form of words; circumlocution

11. Circlenoun

    a territorial division or district

12. Circlenoun

    to move around; to revolve around

13. Circlenoun

    to encompass, as by a circle; to surround; to inclose; to encircle

14. Circleverb

    to move circularly; to form a circle; to circulate

15. Etymology: [OE. cerclen, F. cercler, fr. L. circulare to make round. See Circle, n., and cf. Circulate.]

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Circle

   A circle is a simple shape of Euclidean geometry that is the set of all points in a plane that are a given distance from a given point, the centre. The distance between any of the points and the centre is called the radius. It can also be defined as the locus of a point equidistant from a fixed point. A circle is a simple closed curve which divides the plane into two regions: an interior and an exterior. In everyday use, the term "circle" may be used interchangeably to refer to either the boundary of the figure, or to the whole figure including its interior; in strict technical usage, the circle is the former and the latter is called a disk. A circle can be defined as the curve traced out by a point that moves so that its distance from a given point is constant. A circle may also be defined as a special ellipse in which the two foci are coincident and the eccentricity is 0. Circles are conic sections attained when a right circular cone is intersected by a plane perpendicular to the axis of the cone.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Circle

   sėr′kl, n. a plane figure bounded by one line every point of which is equally distant from a certain point called the centre: the line which bounds the figure: a ring: a planet's orbit: a series ending where it began: a figure in magic; a company surrounding the principal person: those of a certain class or society.—v.t. to move round: to encompass.—v.i. to move in a circle: to stand in a circle.—adjs. Cir′cinate; Cir′cled, circular: encircled.—ns. Cir′cler; Cir′clet; Cir′cling, motion in a circle: a revolution.—Dress′ cir′cle (see Dress); Fair′y-cir′cle, -ring (see Fairy).—Reasoning in a circle, assuming what is to be proved as the basis of the argument. [A.S. circul—L. circulus, dim. of circus; allied to A.S. hring, a ring.]

Dictionary of Nautical Terms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. circle

   A plane figure bounded by a line called the circumference, everywhere equally distant from a point within it, called the centre.

Suggested Resources(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. circle

   The circle symbol -- In this Symbols.com article you will learn about the meaning of the circle symbol and its characteristic.

2. circle

   Song lyrics by circle -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by circle on the Lyrics.com website.

Matched Categories

1. • Ellipse
   • Flunitrazepan
   • Junction
   • Seating
   • Shape
   • Social Group
   • Travel

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'circle' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #3028

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'circle' in Written Corpus Frequency: #2940

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'circle' in Nouns Frequency: #920

Anagrams for circle »

1. cleric

How to pronounce circle?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say circle in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of circle in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of circle in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of circle in a Sentence

1. Jalal ud-Din Rumi:

   Come out of the circle of time And into the circle of love.

2. Ryan Williams:

   [Parscale] is a capable political operative who also is someone trusted by the Trump inner circle and understands the uniqueness of the Trump organization and Trump himself.

3. Kensington Palace:

   Meghan Markle has a very close-knit circle of friends and Meghan Markle did n’t want to choose one over another, all have been actively involved in helping her prepare for the day and will be there in the days beforehand. She’s very happy to have Meghan Markle support.

4. The Trade Ministry official:

   He repeated so many times that he will never hesitate to reach the Integrity Commission to inform about corruption cases in the ministry. We knew he became inside the circle of danger. His end was tragic.

5. May Lamberton Becker:

   Filling a bookcase is like gathering a social circle.

Popularity rank by frequency of use