Circuit
(Cir"cuit), v. i. To move in a circle; to go round; to circulate. [Obs.] J. Philips.
Circuit
(Cir"cuit), v. t. To travel around. [Obs.] "Having circuited the air." T. Warton.
Circuiteer
(Cir`cuit*eer") n. A circuiter. Pope.
Circuiter
(Cir"cuit*er) n. One who travels a circuit, as a circuit judge. [R.] R. Whitlock.
Circuition
(Cir`cu*i"tion) n. [L. circuitio. See Circuit.] The act of going round; circumlocution. [R.]
Circuitous
(Cir*cu"i*tous) a. [LL. circuitosus.] Going round in a circuit; roundabout; indirect; as, a circuitous
road; a circuitous manner of accomplishing an end. — Cir*cu"i*tous*ly, adv. — Cir*cu"i*tous*ness, n.
Syn. — Tortuous; winding; sinuous; serpentine.
Circuity
(Cir*cu"i*ty) n. A going round in a circle; a course not direct; a roundabout way of proceeding.
Circulable
(Cir"cu*la*ble) a. That may be circulated.
Circular
(Cir"cu*lar) a. [L. circularis, fr. circulus circle: cf. F. circulaire. See Circle.]
1. In the form of, or bounded by, a circle; round.
2. repeating itself; ending in itself; reverting to the point of beginning; hence, illogical; inconclusive; as, circular
reasoning.
3. Adhering to a fixed circle of legends; cyclic; hence, mean; inferior. See Cyclic poets, under Cyclic.
Had Virgil been a circular poet, and closely adhered to history, how could the Romans have had Dido?
Dennis.
4. Addressed to a circle, or to a number of persons having a common interest; circulated, or intended for
circulation; as, a circular letter.
A proclamation of Henry III., . . . doubtless circular throughout England.
Hallam.
5. Perfect; complete. [Obs.]
A man so absolute and circular
In all those wished-for rarities that may take
A virgin captive.
Massinger.
Circular are,
any portion of the circumference of a circle. — Circular cubics (Math.), curves of the
third order which are imagined to pass through the two circular points at infinity. — Circular functions.
(Math.) See under Function. — Circular instruments, mathematical instruments employed for measuring
angles, in which the graduation extends round the whole circumference of a circle, or 360°. — Circular
lines, straight lines pertaining to the circle, as sines, tangents, secants, etc. — Circular note or letter.
(a) (Com.) See under Credit. (b) (Diplomacy) A letter addressed in identical terms to a number of
persons. — Circular numbers (Arith.), those whose powers terminate in the same digits as the roots
themselves; as 5 and 6, whose squares are 25 and 36. Bailey. Barlow. — Circular points at infinity
(Geom.), two imaginary points at infinite distance through which every circle in the plane is, in the theory
of curves, imagined to pass. — Circular polarization. (Min.) See under Polarization. — Circular or
Globular sailing (Naut.), the method of sailing by the arc of a great circle. — Circular saw. See
under Saw.
Circular
(Cir"cu*lar), n. [Cf. (for sense 1) F. circulaire, lettre circulaire. See Circular, a.]
1. A circular letter, or paper, usually printed, copies of which are addressed or given to various persons; as,
a business circular.