See also: Circus

English edit

 
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Etymology edit

Borrowed from Latin circus (ring, circle), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker-, *ker- (to turn, to bend).[1][2] Doublet of cirque. Displaced native Old English hringsetl (literally ring seat).

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

circus (plural circuses or (rare) circusses or (rare) circi)

  1. A traveling company of performers that may include acrobats, clowns, trained animals, and other novelty acts, that gives shows usually in a circular tent. [from late 18th c.]
    The circus will be in town next week.
  2. A round open space in a town or city where multiple streets meet.
    Oxford Circus in London is at the north end of Regent Street.
  3. (figurative) A spectacle; a noisy fuss; a chaotic and/or crowded place.
    • 2009, Christine Brooks, A Quiet Village, page 81:
      The village would be turned into a circus over this. He groaned, it was just the sort of case the media had a field day over. He had to get the whole thing sorted fast before anyone got wind of it.
  4. (historical) In the ancient Roman Empire, a building for chariot racing.
  5. (military, World War II) A code name for bomber attacks with fighter escorts in the day time. The attacks were against short-range targets with the intention of occupying enemy fighters and keeping their fighter units in the area concerned.
  6. (obsolete) Circuit; space; enclosure.
    • 1817, Lord Byron, The Lament of Tasso:
      The narrow circus of my dungeon wall.

Coordinate terms edit

Derived terms edit

Related terms edit

Translations edit

Verb edit

circus (third-person singular simple present circuses or circusses, present participle circusing or circussing, simple past and past participle circused or circussed)

  1. To take part in a circus; or to be displayed as if in a circus

References edit

Anagrams edit

Dutch edit

 
Dutch Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia nl

Etymology edit

Borrowed from Latin circus.

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ˈsɪr.kʏs/
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: cir‧cus

Noun edit

circus n (plural circussen, diminutive circusje n)

  1. circus (company of performers; place where this company performs)

Derived terms edit

Descendants edit

  • Afrikaans: sirkus
  • Indonesian: sirkus

See also edit

Latin edit

Etymology edit

Likely borrowed from Ancient Greek κρίκος (kríkos), κίρκος (kírkos, ring),[1] from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (to turn, bend).

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

circus m (genitive circī); second declension

  1. a circular line or orbit; circle, ring
  2. a racecourse or space where games are held, especially one that is round
  3. the spectators in a circus; a circus

Declension edit

Second-declension noun.

Case Singular Plural
Nominative circus circī
Genitive circī circōrum
Dative circō circīs
Accusative circum circōs
Ablative circō circīs
Vocative circe circī

Derived terms edit

Descendants edit

  • Balkan Romance:
  • Italo-Romance:
  • Padanian:
  • Gallo-Romance:
  • Ibero-Romance:
  • Insular Romance:
  • Ancient borrowings:

Learned borrowings:

References edit

  1. ^ De Vaan, Michiel (2008), “circus”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 115

Further reading edit

  • circus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • circus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • circus in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
  • circus”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • circus”, in William Smith et al., editor (1890) A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin