/ ˈsɜːkəmfleks; NAmE ˈsɜːrk-/ (also ˌcircumflex ˈaccent ) noun
the mark placed over a vowel in some languages to show how it should be pronounced, as over the o in rôle
—compare acute accent , grave (II), tilde , umlaut
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WORD ORIGIN
late 16th cent.: from Latin circumflexus (from circum around, about + flectere to bend), translating Greek perispōmenos drawn around.