CIRCUMFLEX


Meaning of CIRCUMFLEX in English

I. ˈsərkəmˌfleks, ˈsə̄k-, ˈsəik- transitive verb

( -ed/-ing/-es )

Etymology: Latin circumflexus, past participle of circumflectere to bend around, mark with a circumflex, from circum- + flectere to bend

: to mark with a circumflex

II. adjective

Etymology: Latin circumflexus; in ref. to accent, approximate translation of Greek perispōmenos, present middle participle of perispan to draw off, divert, from peri- + span to draw — more at span

1.

a. : characterized by the pitch, quantity, or quality indicated by a circumflex (sense 1) ; especially : first rising and then falling in pitch

a circumflex intonation

the long o of Greek dōron “gift” is spoken with a circumflex accent

b. : being a circumflex (sense 1)

the a of French bâtir “to build” is written with a circumflex accent

c. : marked with a circumflex (sense 1)

circumflex e

2. of nerves and blood vessels : bending around

III. noun

( -es )

1. or circumflex accent : a mark ˆ, ῀, or ˜ originally used in Greek over long vowels to indicate a rising-falling tone and thence in other languages to mark length, contraction, or a falling-rising tone and in still others and in phonetic notation to indicate a particular vowel quality — see accent 5; compare tilde

2. : a rising-falling or falling-rising intonation of a vocalic or syllable

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.