Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
circle (noun)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 curve
2.
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
4.
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 assumed
6.
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 circles
7.
a territorial or administrative division or district
8.
a curving side street
transitive verb
1.
to enclose in or as if in a circle
2.
intransitive verb
to move or revolve around - satellites circling the earth
1.
a) to move in or as if in a circle
b) - circulate
2.
to describe or extend in a circle
Merriam-Webster Online Thesaurus
circle (noun)1.
something with a perfectly round circumference
SYNONYMS:
cirque, ring, round, roundelRELATED WORDS:
circlet, ringlet; ellipse, loop, oval; ball, globe, orb, sphere2.
a circular strip
SYNONYMS:
band, circle, eye, hoop, loop, roundRELATED WORDS:
belt, cincture, collar, girdle; wreath; annulet, becket, coil, curl, furl, hank, spiral, spire, twirl, whorl3.
a group of people sharing a common interest and relating together socially
SYNONYMS:
body, bunch, circle, clan, clique, community, coterie, coven, crowd, fold, galère, klatch ( klatsch), lot, network, pack, ring, setRELATED WORDS:
charmed circle, elite, in-group; closed shop; club, college, fellowship, guild ( gild), league, organization, society; camp, faction, sect, side, tribe; mess, squad; brotherhood, fraternity, order, sisterhood, sodality, sorority; commune; alliance, bloc, coalition, confederation, congress, council, federation, unionNEAR ANTONYMS:
loner; individualist4.
a series of events or actions that repeat themselves regularly and in the same order
SYNONYMS:
circle, merry-go-round, round, wheel, zodiacRELATED WORDS:
pattern, syndrome; course, development, progression, run; beat, circuit, loop, ring; rotation, revolution, turn, turnover; chain, sequence, series, string, succession, train5.
a region of activity, knowledge, or influence
SYNONYMS:
area, arena, bailiwick, barony, business, circle, demesne, department, discipline, domain, element, fief, fiefdom, firmament, front, game, kingdom, line, precinct, province, realm, specialty, sphere, terrain, walkRELATED WORDS:
frontier; study, subject; territory, turf; occupation, profession, pursuit, racket, vocation; ambit, amplitude, breadth, compass, confine, dimension(s), extent, ken, reach, scope, sweep, width; subfield, subspecialty1.
to form a circle around
SYNONYMS:
circle, compass, embrace, encircle, enclose ( inclose), encompass, environ, gird, girdle, ring, wreatheRELATED WORDS:
circumscribe, close in, cordon (off), fence (in), hem (in), wall; beset, besiege, entrench ( intrench), invest, swarm2.
to travel completely around
SYNONYMS:
circle, circuit, circumnavigate, circumvent, compass, girdle, orbit, ring, roundRELATED WORDS:
circumambulate, cross, perambulate, traverse