CIRCUMFLEX

I. adjective Etymology: Latin ~us, past participle of circumflectere to bend around, mark with a ~, from circum- + flectere to bend Date: circa 1577 characterized by the pitch, quantity, or quality indicated by a ~, marked with a ~, II. noun Date: 1609 a mark ˆ, ῀, or ˜ originally used in Greek over long vowels to indicate a rising-falling tone and in other languages to mark length, contraction, or a particular vowel quality