— circuital , adj.
/serr"kit/ , n.
1. an act or instance of going or moving around.
2. a circular journey or one beginning and ending at the same place; a round.
3. a roundabout journey or course.
4. a periodical journey from place to place, to perform certain duties, as by judges to hold court, ministers to preach, or salespeople covering a route.
5. the persons making such a journey.
6. the route followed, places visited, or district covered by such a journey.
7. the line going around or bounding any area or object; the distance about an area or object.
8. the space within a bounding line; district: the circuit of the valley.
9. Elect.
a. Also called electric circuit . the complete path of an electric current, including the generating apparatus, intervening resistors, or capacitors.
b. any well-defined segment of a complete circuit.
10. Telecommunications. a means of transmitting communication signals or messages, usually comprising two channels for interactive communication. Cf. channel 1 (def. 12).
11. a number of theaters, nightclubs, etc., controlled by the same owner or manager or visited in turn by the same entertainers or acting companies.
12. a league or association: He used to play baseball for the Texas circuit.
13. ride circuit , Law. (of a judge) to travel a judicial county or district in order to conduct judicial proceedings.
v.t.
14. to go or move around; make the circuit of.
v.i.
15. to go or move in a circuit.
[ 1350-1400; ME circuitus, var. of circumitus circular motion, cycle, equiv. to circu ( m ) i-, var. s. of circu ( m ) ire to go round, circle ( circum- CIRCUM- + ire to go) + -tus suffix of v. action; cf. AMBIT, EXIT ]
Syn. 2. tour, revolution, orbit. 7. circumference, perimeter, periphery, boundary, compass. 8. region, compass, area, range, field. 11. chain.