I. cir ‧ cle 1 S2 W2 /ˈsɜːk ə l $ ˈsɜːr-/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ circle , ↑ semicircle , ↑ circulation ; adjective : ↑ circular , ↑ semicircular , ↑ circulatory ; verb : ↑ circle , ↑ circulate ]
[ Date: 1000-1100 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: cercle , from Latin circulus , from circus ; ⇨ ↑ circus ]
1 . SHAPE a completely round shape, like the letter O:
Draw a circle 10 cm in diameter.
Cut the pastry into circles.
2 . ARRANGED IN A CIRCLE a group of people or things arranged in the shape of a circle:
The children stood round in a circle.
circle of
a circle of chairs
3 . GROUP OF PEOPLE a group of people who know each other and meet regularly, or who have similar interests or jobs
circle of
a circle of friends
political/legal/literary etc circles
He’s well-known in fashionable circles.
Johnson was part of the President’s inner circle (=the people who have the most influence) .
4 . THEATRE British English the upper floor of a theatre, that has seats arranged in curved rows SYN balcony American English
5 . go/run around in circles to think or argue about something without deciding anything or making progress
6 . come/go full circle ( also turn full circle British English ) to end in the same situation in which you began, even though there have been changes in the time in between:
Sooner or later, fashion comes full circle.
7 . (dark) circles under your eyes dark areas under your eyes that you have when you are very tired
⇨ square the circle at ↑ square 3 (5), ⇨ ↑ vicious circle
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 3)
■ phrases
▪ a circle of friends
Over the years she had established a circle of good friends.
▪ a circle of acquaintances (=a group of people that someone knows)
She has a wide circle of acquaintances.
▪ a circle of admirers (=a group of people who admire someone)
When she was young, Sophie had a large circle of male admirers.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + circle
▪ academic/political/literary etc circles
There has been a lot of debate about this issue in political circles.
▪ a wide/large circle
They now had a wide circle of acquaintances in the area.
▪ a small/narrow circle
Ken was the centre of a small circle of artists and writers.
▪ sb’s inner circle (=the people who influence someone the most)
He was among the Prime Minister’s inner circle of advisers.
▪ a social circle
Dan and I didn’t mix in the same social circles.
▪ the family circle
It’s important for children to have friends outside the family circle.
▪ sb’s immediate circle (=your family and some close friends)
We didn’t tell anyone what had happened outside our immediate circle.
▪ a close circle (=in which the people know each other very well)
He cultivated a close circle of musical acquaintances.
▪ a close-knit/intimate circle (=a close one)
His intimate circle was tiny.
▪ a closed circle (=not open to other people)
He didn’t have much experience of life beyond the closed circle of his family.
▪ a limited circle
His writing was popular with a limited circle of enthusiasts.
■ verbs
▪ have a circle of friends/acquaintances etc
She was beautiful and had a wide circle of admirers.
▪ move/mix in a circle (=belong to a particular type of circle)
At Harvard he moved in scientific circles.
▪ be a member of a circle
He was a powerful member of a circle of financiers.
▪ widen your circle (=make it include more people)
In London she set about widening her circle.
▪ build up/establish a circle
Michael built up a wide circle of customers and friends worldwide.
• • •
THESAURUS
■ types of shapes
▪ square a shape with four straight sides that are equal in length and four angles of 90 degrees
▪ circle a round shape that is like an O
▪ semicircle half a circle
▪ triangle a shape with three straight sides and three angles
▪ rectangle a shape with four straight sides and four angles of 90 degrees
▪ oval a shape like a circle, but that is longer than it is wide
▪ cylinder an object in the shape of a tube
▪ cube a solid object with six equal square sides
▪ pyramid a shape with a square base and four triangular sides that meet in a point at the top
▪ sphere a shape like a ball
II. circle 2 BrE AmE verb
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ circle , ↑ semicircle , ↑ circulation ; adjective : ↑ circular , ↑ semicircular , ↑ circulatory ; verb : ↑ circle , ↑ circulate ]
1 . [transitive] to draw a circle around something:
Circle the correct answer.
2 . [intransitive and transitive] to move in the shape of a circle around something, especially in the air:
The plane circled the airport before landing.
circle round/above/over etc
The pigeons circled above the terrace.