Word Study
circular
CIDE DICTIONARY
circular, a. [L. circularis, fr. circulus circle: cf. F. circulaire. See Circle.].
- In the form of, or bounded by, a circle; round. [1913 Webster]
- repeating itself; ending in itself; reverting to the point of beginning; hence, illogical; inconclusive; as, circular reasoning. [1913 Webster]
- Adhering to a fixed circle of legends; cyclic; hence, mean; inferior. See
Cyclic poets , under Cyclic. [1913 Webster]"Had Virgil been a circular poet, and closely adhered to history, how could the Romans have had Dido?" [1913 Webster] - Addressed to a circle, or to a number of persons having a common interest; circulated, or intended for circulation; as, a circular letter. [1913 Webster]"A proclamation of Henry III., . . . doubtless circular throughout England." [1913 Webster]
- Perfect; complete. [1913 Webster]"A man so absolute and circular
In all those wished-for rarities that may take
A virgin captive." [1913 Webster]
- A circular letter, or paper, usually printed, copies of which are addressed or given to various persons; as, a business circular. [1913 Webster]
- A sleeveless cloak, cut in circular form. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
circular, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 a having the form of a circle. b moving or taking place along a circle (circular tour).
2 Logic (of reasoning) depending on a vicious circle.
3 (of a letter or advertisement etc.) printed for distribution to a large number of people.
--n. a circular letter, leaflet, etc.
--adj.
1 a having the form of a circle. b moving or taking place along a circle (circular tour).
2 Logic (of reasoning) depending on a vicious circle.
3 (of a letter or advertisement etc.) printed for distribution to a large number of people.
--n. a circular letter, leaflet, etc.
Idiom
circular saw a power saw with a rapidly rotating toothed disc.
Derivative
circularity n. circularly adv.
Etymology
ME f. AF circuler, OF circulier, cerclier f. LL circularis f. L circulus CIRCLE
THESAURUS
circular
O-shaped, actuate, ambagious, anfractuous, announcement, annular, annulate, annulose, annunciation, backhanded, booklet, brochure, bulletin board, chapbook, circinate, circuitous, circulate, circumlocutory, comic book, communique, coronary, crownlike, cyclic, cycloid, declaration, deviating, deviative, devious, diffuse, digressive, discoid, discursive, disklike, disperse, disseminate, distribute, edict, encyclical, enunciation, exchange, excursive, fallacious, flow, folder, helical, illogical, inconsistent, indirect, interchange, irrational, leaflet, manifesto, meandering, notice, notification, oblique, orbital, out-of-the-way, pamphlet, periphrastic, position paper, proclamation, program, programma, pronouncement, pronunciamento, propagate, public notice, radiate, redundant, report, revolve, ring-shaped, ringlike, rotary, rotate, round, roundabout, rounded, set off, sophistic, sophistical, spiral, statement, strew, tortuous, tract, twisted, twisting, ukase, white book, white paperROGET THESAURUS
circular
Correspondence
N correspondence, letter, epistle, note, billet, post card, missive, circular, favor, billet-doux, chit, chitty, letter card, picture post card, postal, card, despatch, dispatch, bulletin, these presents, rescript, rescription, post, epistolary, furor scribendi.Book
N booklet, writing, work, volume, tome, opuscule, tract, tractate, livret, brochure, libretto, handbook, codex, manual, pamphlet, enchiridion, circular, publication, chap book, part, issue, number livraison, album, portfolio, periodical, serial, magazine, ephemeris, annual, journal, paper, bill, sheet, broadsheet, leaf, leaflet, fly leaf, page, quire, ream, chapter, section, head, article, paragraph, passage, clause, endpapers, frontispiece, cover, binding, folio, quarto, octavo, duodecimo, sextodecimo, octodecimo, encyclopedia, encompilation, library, bibliotheca, press, definitive work, treatise, comprehensive treatise (dissertation), writer, author, litterateur, essayist, journalism, pen, scribbler, the scribbling race, literary hack, Grub-street writer, writer for the press, gentleman of the press, representative of the press, adjective jerker, diaskeaust, ghost, hack writer, ink slinger, publicist, reporter, penny a liner, editor, subeditor, playwright, poet, bookseller, publisher, bibliopole, bibliopolist, librarian, bookstore, bookshop, bookseller's shop, knowledge of books, bibliography, book learning, among the giant fossils of my past, craignez tout d'un auteur en courroux, for authors nobler palms remain, I lived to write and wrote to live, look in thy heart and write, there is no Past so long as Books shall live, the public mind is the creation of the Master-Writ, volumes that I prize above my dukedom.Curvature
N curvature, curvity, curvation, incurvature, incurvity, incurvation, bend, flexure, flexion, flection, conflexure, crook, hook, bought, bending, deflection, deflexion, inflection, inflexion, concameration, arcuation, devexity, turn, deviation, detour, sweep, curl, curling, bough, recurvity, recurvation, sinuosity, kink, carve, arc, arch, arcade, vault, bow, crescent, half-moon, lunule, horseshoe, loop, crane neck, parabola, hyperbola, helix, spiral, catenary, festoon, conchoid, cardioid, caustic, tracery, arched ceiling, arched roof, bay window, bow window, sine curve, spline, spline curve, spline function, obliquity, curved, curviform, curvilineal, curvilinear, devex, devious, recurved, recurvous, crump, bowed, vaulted, hooked, falciform, falcated, semicircular, crescentic, sinusoid, parabolic, paraboloid, luniform, lunular, semilunar, conchoidal, helical, double helical, spiral, kinky, cordiform, cordated, cardioid, heart shaped, bell shaped, boat shaped, crescent shaped, lens shaped, moon shaped, oar shaped, shield shaped, sickle shaped, tongue shaped, pear shaped, fig shaped, kidney-shaped, reniform, lentiform, lenticular, bow-legged, oblique, circular, aduncated, arclike, arcuate, arched, beaked, bicorn, bicornuous, bicornute, clypeate, clypeiform, cymbiform, embowed, galeiform, hamate, hamiform, hamous, hooked, linguiform, lingulate, lobiform, lunate, navicular, peltate, remiform, rhamphoid, rostrate, rostriferous, rostroid, scutate, scaphoid, uncate, unguiculate, unguiform.Circularity
N circularity, roundness, rotundity, circle, circlet, ring, areola, hoop, roundlet, annulus, annulet, bracelet, armlet, ringlet, eye, loop, wheel, cycle, orb, orbit, rundle, zone, belt, cordon, band, contrate wheel, crown wheel, hub, nave, sash, girdle, cestus, cincture, baldric, fillet, fascia, wreath, garland, crown, corona, coronet, chaplet, snood, necklace, collar, noose, lasso, lassoo, ellipse, oval, ovule, ellipsoid, cycloid, epicycloid, epicycle, semicircle, quadrant, sextant, sector, sphere, round, rounded, circular, annular, orbicular, oval, ovate, elliptic, elliptical, egg-shaped, pear-shaped, cycloidal, spherical, I watched the little circles die.Publication
N publication, public announcement, promulgation, propagation, proclamation, pronunziamento, circulation, indiction, edition, hue and cry, publicity, notoriety, currency, flagrancy, cry, bruit, hype, vox populi, report, the Press, public press, newspaper, journal, gazette, daily, telegraphy, publisher, imprint, circular, circular letter, manifesto, advertisement, ad, placard, bill, affiche, broadside, poster, notice, published, current, in circulation, public, notorious, flagrant, arrant, open, trumpet-tongued, encyclical, encyclic, promulgatory, exoteric, publicly, in open court, with open doors, Int, Oyez!, O yes!, notice!, notice is hereby given, this is to give, these are to give notice, nomina stultorum parietibus haerent, semel emissum volat irrevocabile verbum.For further exploring for "circular" in Webster Dictionary Online