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circle

circle

502 1.0
A round shape with no corners like a ring
  • noun
  • /ˈsɜr.kəl/
: círculo
  • The kids sat down in a circle to play a game during recess.
  • stone circle
  • sit in a circle
  • concentric circles

It's a wooden box with a circle with this on it.

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Examples

  • This circle here touches the big circle and touches this circle.

  • A circle on the map.

  • The question is, is the circle small or large?

  • When that happens, that circle becomes smaller.

  • And then we have a little circle here and a circle here.

  • So my center of the circle is right there.

  • You were then supposed to paint a circle on the blue paper.

  • It's quite obvious that these two circles are the same, right?

  • I want you to give me a 30-mile circle around Reagan National.

  • A circle of life.

Idioms

44 1.0

People or things placed so they form a round shape

20 5.2

To return to the original place or situation after many changes

8 8.8

Join together to protect each other from outside criticism

Words people say to announce a correct answer or a win

Compounds

45 4.9

A small trusted group of people with special power or access in an organization

33 4.1

A return to the situation where something began after changes

11 3.7

An imaginary line about 66 degrees north where the sun stays above or below the horizon for a day

6 6.1

A small area at a racetrack where owners of winning horses receive prizes

A situation where one problem causes another and makes the first problem worse

A group of people who take part in government or party work and share similar views

2 2.8

A round road junction where cars go around a central island to enter or leave

An imaginary line about 66 degrees south that marks the start of the area near the South Pole

great circle
  • Specialized
1 5.8

A circle on a globe made when a flat surface passes through the center

A situation in which one good action causes more good actions

circle of Willis
  • Specialized
1 6.9

A ring of blood vessels at the base of the brain that carries blood to the brain and nearby parts

1 3.9

A circle that shows how colors are related, for example primary and opposite colors

1 5.4

A curved section of seats above the main floor with a good view of the stage

A curved part of a circle that is one quarter of the whole

A group of people who work at universities or do research and share ideas

circle of curvature
  • Specialized
9.9

A circle that touches a curve on its inside and matches its bend there

dip circle
  • Specialized
9.9

A tool that measures the tilt of Earth's magnetic field

8.4

A pommel horse move where both legs swing together in a circle while the hands switch on the handles

equinoctial circle
  • Specialized
9.9

An imaginary circle across the sky midway between the north and south poles

back circle
  • Specialized
9.3

A gymnastics move where a person lies on their back, arches their back and brings their feet to their head

fairy circle
  • Specialized
8.3

A ring of mushrooms that grow where the fungus spreads under the ground

fairy circle
  • Australian
8.5

A round bare patch in dry grasslands or deserts where few plants grow

family circle
  • Archaic
7.2

The highest seats in a theater balcony that are far from the stage

9.6

A gymnastics move on the horizontal bar where you swing all the way around with your body straight

hour circle
  • Specialized
9.9

A circle on the sky that passes through both celestial poles and a star to show its right ascension

osculating circle
  • Specialized
9.9

A circle that touches a curve at one point and matches its bend near that spot

parhelic circle
  • Specialized
9.9

A white or pale circle in the sky that runs along the horizon when sunlight hits ice crystals

Seats at the back of the main floor in a theatre under the balconies

A circle near Earth's poles where the sun stays above or below the horizon for one day

A group of people who study and talk about religious ideas

vertical circle
  • Specialized
9.2

An imaginary circle in the sky that goes through the point directly above you and down to the horizon

How Curved

circle
502 1.0
semicircle
6 2.1
arc
73 3.2
bend
77 1.2
line
∞ 1.1

Surface Forms

circle singular
circles plural

Etymology

Circle comes from the Latin word circulus, which means 'ring' and is the same root as circus, the performance ring. So a circle is a 'ring' shape where every point is the same distance from the center.