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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary cir·cle \\ˈsər-kəl\\ noun USAGE often attributive
ETYMOLOGY Middle English cercle, from Anglo-French, from Latin circulus, diminutive of circus circle, circus, from or akin to Greek krikos, kirkos ring; akin to Old English hring ring — more at ring
DATE 14th century
1. a. ring , halo b. a closed plane curve every point of which is equidistant from a fixed point within the curve c. the plane surface bounded by such a curve2. archaic : the orbit of a celestial body 3. something in the form of a circle or section of a circle: as a. diadem b. an instrument of astronomical observation the graduated limb of which consists of an entire circle c. a balcony or tier of seats in a theater d. a circle formed on the surface of a sphere by the intersection of a plane that passes through it circle of latitude e. rotary 24. an area of action or influence : realm 5. a. cycle , round the wheel has come full circle b. fallacious reasoning in which something to be demonstrated is covertly assumed6. a group of persons sharing a common interest or revolving about a common center the sewing circle of her church family circle the gossip of court circles7. a territorial or administrative division or district8. a curving side street[ circle 1b: AB diameter; C center; CD, CA, CB radii; EKF arc on chord EF; EFKL (area) segment on chord EF; ACD (area) sector; GH secant; TPM tangent at point P; EKFBPDA circumference] verb ( cir·cled ; cir·cling \\-k(ə-)liŋ\\) DATE 14th century
transitive verb1. to enclose in or as if in a circle2. to move or revolve around satellites circling the earthintransitive verb1. a. to move in or as if in a circle b. circulate 2. to describe or extend in a circle• cir·cler \\-k(ə-)lər\\ noun
circle c.1300, from O.Fr
http://O.Fr . cercle, from L. circulus "small ring," dim. of circus ( q.v.). Replaced O.E. trendel and hring. Meaning "group of persons surrounding a center of interest" is from 1714; that of "coterie" is from 1640s; dim. form circlet is from late 15 c. The verb is from late 14 c.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of English Oxford Collocations dictionary for students of Englishcircle
noun 1 shape ADJ. complete, full The stones form a complete circle. How long does it take for the dial to rotate through a full circle? | concentric | widening The water rippled in widening circles round the fountain. | overlapping a design of overlapping circles | tight He turned the car in a tight circle. | half | Antarctic, Arctic, polar VERB + CIRCLE draw | describe (technical), go around/round in If you follow the road signs you will simply find yourself going round in a circle. | form, make | cut out
PREP. in a/the ~ The children stood in a circle. The planets move in circles round the sun. | ~ of PHRASES the area/circumference/diameter/radius of a circle, the centre/middle of a circle 2 group of people ADJ. wide She has a wide circle of acquaintances. | narrow, small | charmed, close/closed, intimate, magic, select He invited only a select circle of friends to the wedding. | exalted, high | immediate They treat anyone outside their immediate circle with suspicion. | inner He's joined the inner circles of the court early in his career. | academic, aristocratic, artistic, business, court, diplomatic, government, intellectual, literary, official, political, royal, social, sporting, theatrical ~s She moves in the highest social circles. | family VERB + CIRCLE have | move in My brother and I move in completely different circles (= we have very different friends). | join | widen You need to widen your circle of friends.
PREP. in a/the ~ Talk of religion was forbidden in the family circle. friends in government circles PHRASES a circle of acquaintances/admirers/friends 3 in a theatre ADJ. dress, upper Our seats are in the front row of the dress circle.
Oxford Collocations dictionary for students of Englishcircle
verb 1 move in a circle ADV. slowly The helicopter was circling slowly, very low. | overhead A buzzard was circling overhead. PREP. above Several airliners were circling above the airport. | around/round The vultures were already circling around the dead animal. 2 draw a circle round sth PHRASES circle sth in black, red, etc. She circled her birthday in red on the calendar. Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7 ☞ circlecir·cle / 5sE:kl; NAmE 5sE:rkl / noun1. a completely round flat shape 圆；圆形: Cut out two circles of paper. 剪出两个圆形纸块。 ⇨ see also semicircle 2. the line that forms the edge of a circle 圆周；圆圈: Draw a circle. 画一个圆圈。 She walked the horse round in a circle. 她牵着马遛圈子。 ⇨ see also Antarctic Circle , Arctic Circle , turning circle 3. a thing or a group of people or things shaped like a circle 圆形物；环状物；圈；环: a circle of trees / chairs 一圈树/椅子 The children stood in a circle. 孩子们站成一圈。 ⇨ see also corn circle , crop circle 4. (BrE) (also bal·cony NAmE, BrE) an upper floor of a theatre or cinema / movie theater where the seats are arranged in curved rows (剧院或电影院的)弧形楼座: We had seats in the circle. 我们坐的是楼座座位。 ⇨ see also dress circle 5. a group of people who are connected because they have the same interests, jobs, etc. (相同兴趣、职业等的人形成的)圈子,阶层,界: the family circle 家庭圈子 She's well known in theatrical circles. 她在戏剧界赫赫有名。 a large circle of friends 一大群朋友 ⇨ see also charmed circle , inner circle , vicious circle IDIOMS ▪ come, turn, etc. full 'circle to return to the situation in which you started, after a series of events or experiences (事情或经历)兜了一圈回到原处▪ go round in 'circles to work hard at sth or discuss sth without making any progress 在原地绕圈子；总是回到同一个问题▪ run round in 'circles ( informal) to be busy doing sth without achieving anything important or making progress 徒劳无功；瞎忙；空忙verb1. ~ (around) (above / over sb / sth) to move in a circle, especially in the air (尤指在空中)盘旋,环行,转圈: ▪ [V] Seagulls circled around above his head. 海鸥在他的头顶上盘旋。 ▪ [VN] The plane circled the airport to burn up excess fuel. 飞机在机场上空盘旋以耗掉多余的燃料。 2. [VN] to draw a circle around sth 围绕…画圈；圈出；圈起: Spelling mistakes are circled in red ink. 拼写错误都用红笔圈了出来。
circle noun
⇨ circle (draw a circle) ⇨ group 2 (a circle of friends)
circle verb
⇨ spin Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged Search result show the entry is found in: arctic circle , or landing circle , or lufbery circle , or magic circle , or meridian circle , or auxiliary circle , or orchestra circle , or azimuth circle , or parhelic circle , or parquet circle , or pitch circle , or poison circle , or polar circle , or primary circle , or base circle , or quadrature of the circle , or refraction circle , or rolling circle , or root circle , or secondary circle , or setting circle , or sicilian circle , or small circle , or squared circle , or square of the circle , or squaring the circle , or stone circle , or striking circle , or addendum circle , or swing round the circle , or swing around the circle , or traffic circle , or transit circle , or traverse circle , or traversing circle , or vertical circle , or vicious circle , or vicious circle principle , or blur circle , or willis's circle , or winner's circle , or working circle , or circle the wagons , or crop circle , or osculating circle , or quality circle , or unit circle , or camp circle , or center circle , or charmed circle , or circle brick , or circle dance , or circle eight , or circle graph , or circle of apollonius , or circle of confusion , or circle of curvature , or circle of fifths , or circle of latitude , or circle of least confusion , or circle of position , or circle of willis , or circle rider , or circle shear , or circle turn , or aiming circle , or color circle , or declination circle , or dedendum circle , or dip circle , or diurnal circle , or dress circle , or druidical circle , or equinoctial circle , or escribed circle , or fairy circle , or family circle , or antarctic circle , or great circle , or great-circle chart , or great-circle sailing , or great-circle track , or guard circle , or hour circle , or hue circle , or hut circle
cir·cleI. \ˈsərkəl, -ə̄k-, -əik-\ noun( -s) Etymology: alteration (influenced by Latin circulus) of Middle English cercle, from Old French, from Latin circulus, diminutive of circus ring, from or akin to Greek kirkos, krikos ring; perhaps akin to Lithuanian kreĩvas crooked, Russian kriv', Greek korōnē ring — more at crown 1. a. : a bright ring (as around the moon) : halo b. : a closed plane curve every point of which is equidistant from a fixed point within the curve : circumference , ring — see diameter , radius c. : the plane surface bounded by such a curve — see area table, pi 2a 2. a. obsolete : the sphere in which a celestial body was thought to revolve b. : the orbit of revolution of such a sphere c. : the period of revolution through the orbit of such a sphere 3. : something having the shape of a closed curve or a section of one; as: a. : ring , circlet b. : crown , diadem c. : an instrument of astronomical observation the graduated limb of which consists of an entire circle d. : a balcony or tier of seats in a theater or opera house e. : a group of people (as dancers) or things (as stones, campfires) forming a ring f. : a circle of latitude or longitude g. : a small circular park or garden h. : rotary 4. : something having the shape of an area enclosed by a circle: as a. : a circus ring b. : a round plate or sheet < cutting cloth into circles >5. a. obsolete : a region thought of as bounded by a circle < in the circle of this forest — Shakespeare > b. : an area of action or influence : realm — compare sphere 6. a. : a series ending at its starting point : cycle , round < the circle of 24 hours > < the wheel has come full circle > b. logic : fallacious reasoning in which something that ostensibly is being proved or demonstrated is taken for granted or covertly assumed especially in the premises < arguments in a circle are instances of begging the question >7. a. : things grouped in or as if in a system of coordinate members < a circle of sciences > b. : a group of people thought of as held together by a common point of interest < theatrical circles > : an exclusive group : coterie , clique , elite < the gossip of court circles > < the charmed circle of 20-game winners > c. : a chapter or local group of any of various societies 8. : a territorial or administrative division or district: a. : any one of the 10 territorial divisions of Germany under the Holy Roman Empire b. : kreis c. : a district in India for the issue of government paper currency 9. bookbinding : roll 10. : a circular course or path of movement; specifically : the operation of rounding up cattle < he would … take the lead for the morning's circle — Will James > [circle 1b: AB diameter; C center; CD, CA, CB radii; EKF arc on chord EF; EFKL (area) segment on chord EF; ACD (area) sector; GH secant; TPM tangent at point P; EKFBPDA circumference] II. verb( circled ; circled ; circling \-k(ə)liŋ\ ; circles) Etymology: Middle English cerclen, from cercle, n. transitive verb1. : to enclose in or as if in a circle : form a circle or oval around < the gridiron was circled with a cinder track >specifically : to draw a circle around for special attention (as for correction or deletion) < circle the misspelled words >2. a. : to move or revolve around : travel around or traverse so as to describe a circle, arc, or curved figure < fast planes circling the earth > b. : to cause to move in a circle c. : to proceed in an arc or curve around (as for avoiding or eluding) < the ship circled the cape > < circle an opposing end in football >3. : to form into a circle : make circular intransitive verb1. a. : to move around or proceed in or as if in a circle or circles < circle around over a landing strip > sometimes : to meander or proceed aimlessly < grass-mounds where water circled, running from scoops and cups to curves and brook streams — George Meredith > < winding and circling, at last it reaches a conclusion from some point unforeseen — H.O.Taylor > b. : circulate c. : to turn in a usually wide loop especially in reversing one's course — often used with back < circle back toward home >2. : to form, describe, or extend in a circle < the lighthouse sent out its slow steady circling beam — R.O.Bowen >Synonyms: see surround , turn III. noun: a residential street that curves and typically loops back on itself — used chiefly in the names of streets IV. verb• - circle the wagons
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