circle
Noun:
- A perfectly round two-dimensional shape: A closed curve where every point is equidistant from a fixed center point.
- A group of people with shared interests or connections: An unofficial association or social group.
- A curved arrangement, often of seats or objects: Something approximating the circular shape, such as a ring of chairs or a tier in a theater.
- A circular path or movement: The act of moving around or the route itself, such as a traffic circle or a lap around a course.
Verb:
- To move in a circular path around something: To travel around an object or central point.
- To form a ring around something: To surround or encircle.
Noun:
- She drew a perfect circle on the paper. (Refers to the geometric shape.)
- He has a wide circle of friends from different countries. (Refers to a social group.)
- We sat in the front circle of the theater. (Refers to a curved tier of seats.)
- The plane made a wide circle above the airport before landing. (Refers to a circular flight path.)
Verb:
- The satellite will circle the Earth for several years. (Means to travel around.)
- The security guards circled the building. (Means to move around or surround.)
"To come full circle": To return to the original position, situation, or opinion after a long series of events or changes.
- After trying many different careers, his life came full circle when he returned to teaching.
"Vicious circle": A situation in which the solution to one problem creates new problems, leading back to the original issue.
- Poverty and lack of education can create a vicious circle that is hard to break.
"Inner circle": A small, exclusive group of people who are closest to the center of power or influence.
- Only his inner circle knew about the plan before it was announced.
Circular (adj): Having the shape of a circle; round.
- The table had a circular top.
Circulate (verb): To move continuously or freely around a closed system or area; to pass from place to place or person to person.
- Please circulate this memo to all department heads.
Encircle (verb): To form a circle around; surround.
- The ancient wall encircles the old city.
- Ring: A circular band, line, or arrangement.
- Loop: A shape produced by a curve that bends around and crosses itself.
- Circuit: A roughly circular line, route, or movement that starts and finishes at the same place.
- Clique: A small, exclusive group of people.
Circle back (to): To return to a topic or person later.
- I don't have the answer now, but I will circle back to you tomorrow.
Circle around: To move around something, often cautiously or indirectly.
- The reporters circled around the celebrity, trying to get a statement.
Run around in circles: To be very busy but achieve very little; to act in a confused or disorganized way.
- We've been running around in circles trying to find the correct forms.
Square the circle: To attempt something that is considered impossible.
- Trying to please everyone is like trying to square the circle.
- any circular or rotating mechanism
- the machine punched out metal circles
- 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
- street names for flunitrazepan
- a road junction at which traffic streams circularly around a central island
- the accident blocked all traffic at the rotary
- movement once around a course
- he drove an extra lap just for insurance
- something approximating the shape of a circle
- the chairs were arranged in a circle
- an unofficial association of people or groups
- the smart set goes there
- they were an angry lot
- 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
- form a circle around
- encircle the errors
- move in circles
- travel around something
- circle the globe