Skip to main content
circle

circle

1 5.1
A round machine part that turns to make things move
  • noun
  • /ˈsɜr.kəl/
  • Specialized
: disco
  • The engineer designed a circle component that allowed the machine to operate smoothly.

Isn't a tire a wheel, It's a circle.

Examples

  • The rotating circle in the clock helps to keep accurate time by ensuring the gears turn uniformly.

  • To improve efficiency, the team replaced the broken circle part in the device with a new one.

  • The media turned all of their attention away from any of anyone else and formed a circle of cameras around them that began rotating.

  • The President was turning in a circle, hunting for something else to compliment.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • That dog just wandered in circles for days.

  • I think we've walked in a big circle.

  • I was too nervous to sit still, so I compulsively paced circles around a stop sign.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Faron spots Hank turning slowly in circles and pulls Hank's arm over his shoulder to support him.

    Fiction book (1990)

Synonyms

wheel
vscircle
∞ 1.0

A round object that turns on an axle to help move or steer vehicles

is a general rotating mechanical component not mainly for movement
disk
vscircle
  • US
154 1.4

A flat, thin round object or surface

is a rotating mechanical component used in machines rather than a flat surface

Idioms

62 1.0

People or things placed so they form a round shape

21 5.2

To return to the original place or situation after many changes

11 8.8

Join together to protect each other from outside criticism

Words people say to announce a correct answer or a win

Compounds

52 4.9

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

38 4.1

A return to the situation where something began after changes

13 3.7

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

8 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

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

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

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

1 3.9

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

fairy circle
  • Specialized
1 8.3

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

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 5.5

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

parhelic circle
  • Specialized
1 9.9

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

osculating circle
  • Specialized
1 9.9

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

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

circle of curvature
  • Specialized
1 9.9

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

vertical circle
  • Specialized
1 9.2

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

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
  • 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

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

Surface Forms

circle singular
circles plural

Etymology

Circle comes from the Latin word circulus, meaning 'ring', which helps to see why a circle can be a round part or ring that turns smoothly inside a machine.