CIRCLE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does circle mean? 

• CIRCLE (noun)
  The noun CIRCLE has 8 senses:

1. 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

2. an unofficial association of people or groups

3. something approximating the shape of a circle

4. movement once around a course

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

6. street names for flunitrazepan

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

8. any circular or rotating mechanism

  Familiarity information: CIRCLE used as a noun is common.

• CIRCLE (verb)
  The verb CIRCLE has 3 senses:

1. travel around something

2. move in a circular path above (someone or something)

3. form or draw a circle around

  Familiarity information: CIRCLE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CIRCLE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes

Context example:

he calculated the circumference of the circle

Hypernyms ("circle" is a kind of...):

ellipse; oval (a closed plane curve resulting from the intersection of a circular cone and a plane cutting completely through it)

Meronyms (parts of "circle"):

arc (a continuous portion of a circle)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "circle"):

circle of curvature; osculating circle (the circle that touches a curve (on the concave side) and whose radius is the radius of curvature)

circlet (a small circle)

equator (a circle dividing a sphere or other surface into two usually equal and symmetrical parts)

epicycle (a circle that rolls around (inside or outside) another circle; generates an epicycloid or hypocycloid)

Derivation:

circular (having the shape or form of a circle)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An unofficial association of people or groups

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

band; circle; lot; set

Context example:

they were an angry lot

Hypernyms ("circle" is a kind of...):

social group (people sharing some social relation)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "circle"):

company; party (a band of people associated temporarily in some activity)

jet set (a set of rich and fashionable people who travel widely for pleasure)

horsey set; horsy set (a set of people sharing a devotion to horses and horseback riding and horse racing)

Four Hundred (the exclusive social set of a city)

confederacy; conspiracy (a group of conspirators banded together to achieve some harmful or illegal purpose)

cohort (a band of warriors (originally a unit of a Roman Legion))

camp; clique; coterie; ingroup; inner circle; pack (an exclusive circle of people with a common purpose)

car pool (a small group of car drivers who arrange to take turns driving while the others are passengers)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Something approximating the shape of a circle

Classified under:

Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes

Context example:

the chairs were arranged in a circle

Hypernyms ("circle" is a kind of...):

form; shape (the spatial arrangement of something as distinct from its substance)

Derivation:

circle (form or draw a circle around)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Movement once around a course

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

circle; circuit; lap

Context example:

he drove an extra lap just for insurance

Hypernyms ("circle" is a kind of...):

locomotion; travel (self-propelled movement)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "circle"):

lap of honour; victory lap (a lap by the winning person or team run to celebrate the victory)

pace lap (the first lap of a car race that prepares the cars for a fast start)

Derivation:

circle (travel around something)

circle (move in a circular path above (someone or something))

circular (describing a circle; moving in a circle)

Sense 5

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

circle; rotary; roundabout; traffic circle

Context example:

the accident blocked all traffic at the rotary

Hypernyms ("circle" is a kind of...):

junction (the place where two or more things come together)

Holonyms ("circle" is a part of...):

road; route (an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Street names for flunitrazepan

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

circle; forget me drug; Mexican valium; R-2; roach; roofy; rope; rophy

Hypernyms ("circle" is a kind of...):

flunitrazepan; Rohypnol (a depressant and tranquilizer (trade name Rohypnol) often used in the commission of sexual assault; legally available in Europe and Mexico and Colombia)

Sense 7

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

circle; dress circle

Context example:

they had excellent seats in the dress circle

Hypernyms ("circle" is a kind of...):

seating; seating area; seating room; seats (an area that includes places where several people can sit)

Holonyms ("circle" is a part of...):

house; theater; theatre (a building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented)

Sense 8

Meaning:

Any circular or rotating mechanism

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

circle; round

Context example:

the machine punched out metal circles

Hypernyms ("circle" is a kind of...):

rotating mechanism (a mechanism that rotates)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "circle"):

disc; disk (a flat circular plate)

Derivation:

circle (move in a circular path above (someone or something))

circular (describing a circle; moving in a circle)

• CIRCLE (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Travel around something

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

circle the globe

Hypernyms (to "circle" is one way to...):

go; locomote; move; travel (change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "circle"):

circumambulate; walk around (walk around something)

circumnavigate; compass (travel around, either by plane or ship)

circle around; circle round; revolve around (move around in a circular motion)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

circle (movement once around a course)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Move in a circular path above (someone or something)

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

the plane circled, looking for a landing spot

Hypernyms (to "circle" is one way to...):

go; locomote; move; travel (change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "circle"):

orb; orbit; revolve (move in an orbit)

troll (circulate, move around)

loop (fly loops, perform a loop)

loop (move in loops)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Derivation:

circle (movement once around a course)

circle (any circular or rotating mechanism)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Form or draw a circle around

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

circle; encircle

Context example:

encircle the errors

Hypernyms (to "circle" is one way to...):

form; shape (give shape or form to)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

circle (something approximating the shape of a circle)

 Context examples 

As he came into the circle of dim light which enables me to see him more clearly I was thrilled with horror at his appearance.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

They starched two hundred white shirts, with a single gathering movement seizing a shirt so that the wristbands, neckband, yoke, and bosom protruded beyond the circling right hand.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Mr. Eduardo Lucas was so well-known and popular that his violent and mysterious fate will arouse painful interest and intense sympathy in a widespread circle of friends.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He placed his finger in the centre of the circle.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

You need not get too focused on those dates, though, for Neptune moves so slowly that it takes Neptune 165 years to circle the Sun.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

They all sat down in a circle about me, the better to observe my motions.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

But their father, though very laconic in his expressions of pleasure, was really glad to see them; he had felt their importance in the family circle.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

And beyond that fire, in the circling darkness, Buck could see many gleaming coals, two by two, always two by two, which he knew to be the eyes of great beasts of prey.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

Then for a time there were no blue flames, and we sped onwards through the gloom, with the howling of the wolves around us, as though they were following in a moving circle.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Again his gaze completed the circle of the world about him.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)