circle

Word family  noun circle semicircle circulation adjective circular semicircular circulatory verb circle circulate

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++

Related topics: Theatre

ldoce_047_ccir·cle1 /ˈsɜːkəl $ ˈsɜːr-/ ●●● S2 W2 noun [countable]  1  shape 形状CIRCLE a completely round shape, like the letter O 圆（形） Draw a circle 10 cm in diameter. 画一个直径10厘米的圆形。 Cut the pastry into circles. 将油酥面团切成圆形。 →5  See picture of circumference 圆周, diameter 直径, quadrant 四分之一圆 ...2  arranged in a circle 排成圈GROUP OF PEOPLEGROUP OF THINGS a group of people or things arranged in the shape of a circle 排成一圈的人[物] The children stood round in a circle. 孩子们站成一圈。circle of a circle of chairs 一圈椅子3  group of people 人群GROUP OF PEOPLE a group of people who know each other and meet regularly, or who have similar interests or jobs 〔相识并时常见面，或具有相同兴趣、职业的人形成的〕圈子，界circle of a circle of friends 朋友圈子political/legal/literary etc circles He’s well-known in fashionable circles. 他在时装界是个知名人物。 Johnson was part of the president’s inner circle (=the people who have the most influence). 约翰逊是总统核心集团的人。4. theatre 剧院 British EnglishAPT the upper floor of a theatre, that has seats arranged in curved rows 〔有半圆形楼座的〕楼厅 SYN American English balcony →5 see picture at 见图 theatre5. go/run around in circles AROUND/ROUNDto think or argue about something without deciding anything or making progress 原地绕圈子；白忙活，瞎忙6  come/go full circle  (also turn full circle British English)HAPPEN to end in the same situation in which you began, even though there have been changes in the time in between 循环，兜了一圈回到原处 Sooner or later, fashion comes full circle. 时尚迟早会流行回来的。7. (dark) circles under your eyes dark areas under your eyes that you have when you are very tired 黑眼圈 → square the circle at square3(5), → vicious circlen COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 3: a group of people who know each other and meet regularly, or who have similar interests or jobsphrasesa circle of friendsOver the years she had established a circle of good friends.a circle of acquaintances (=a group of people that someone knows)She has a wide circle of acquaintances.a circle of admirers (=a group of people who admire someone)When she was young, Sophie had a large circle of male admirers.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + circle academic/political/literary etc circlesThere has been a lot of debate about this issue in political circles.a wide/large circleThey now had a wide circle of acquaintances in the area.a small/narrow circleKen was the centre of a small circle of artists and writers.somebody’s inner circle (=the people who influence someone the most)He was among the prime minister’s inner circle of advisers.a social circleDan and I didn’t mix in the same social circles.the family circleIt’s important for children to have friends outside the family circle.somebody’s immediate circle (=your family and some close friends)We didn’t tell anyone what had happened outside our immediate circle.a close circle (=in which the people know each other very well)He cultivated a close circle of musical acquaintances.a close-knit/intimate circle (=a close one)His intimate circle was tiny.a closed circle (=not open to other people)He didn’t have much experience of life beyond the closed circle of his family.a limited circleHis writing was popular with a limited circle of enthusiasts.verbshave a circle of friends/acquaintances etcShe was beautiful and had a wide circle of admirers.move/mix in a circle (=belong to a particular type of circle)At Harvard he moved in scientific circles.be a member of a circleHe was a powerful member of a circle of financiers.widen your circle (=make it include more people)In London she set about widening her circle.build up/establish a circleMichael built up a wide circle of customers and friends worldwide.

Examples from the Corpus

circle• Draw a circle around the right answer.• The teacher drew a circle on the blackboard.• We all stood in a circle and tossed the ball to each other.• a circle of chairs• Hippie dips, or hot pots, are circles of rocks built around natural hot springs.• Over to your right in the distance, half-hidden by a fold of land, is a broken circle of stone monoliths.• Calling circles give discounts when you call other customers of the same long-distance carrier you have.• The flashlight threw a dim circle of light onto the wall.• They had big half circles of pure white skin below.• Without a plan you will end up going in circles and wasting your life away.• It was the 1960s, and the military had become unpopular among academic and intellectual circles.• By 1920 she had written two novels, and had succeeded in winning recognition in literary circles.• The drawbacks of this relationship are its stolid dullness and its tendency to focus power in a small circle of people.• Cut the dough into several small circles.• The circles were there, perfectly.• The circle of stones at Stonehenge is thought to have originally been a temple.• This circle is 4 inches in diameter.• I want you to form two circles, one inside the other. Boys on the outside, girls on the inside.• We hold on to one another, an unsteady circle, and leave the room together.in a circle• You'd think we were driving in circles, but we're not.• All that means is writing done very small, not necessarily in circles, like this one is.• Arrange kiwi slices on top of the filling, overlapping in circles.• The women sat in a circle among the trees.• Description of the game Children all sit in a circle.• Blind Man's Buff Everyone sits in a circle with one person sitting blindfolded in the middle.• Each fills her bucket and comes to stand in a circle around me.• We were steaming in a circle for a reason.political/legal/literary etc circles• Eleanor's husband had secured his first lectureship, and her first novel had been acclaimed in literary circles.• But hardly anyone in political circles, including Republican loyalist redoubts on Capitol Hill, believes that right now.• For the most part these newspapers were owned by persons high in political circles or were subsidized by special interest groups.• After the Gulf War he was promoted rapidly and began to mix more in political circles.• By 1920 she had proved herself by earning a living in a difficult world, and by winning recognition in literary circles.• Yet he had somehow established a reputation in political circles as something out of the ordinary.• The hot topic in political circles here is who might become Sen.• There are various species of Sizewell men - no, in modern political circles, Sizewell people.circle2 ●●○ verb  1  [transitive]CIRCLE to draw a circle around something 在…上画圈；圈出 Circle the correct answer. 圈出正确的答案。2  [intransitive, transitive]AROUND/ROUND to move in the shape of a circle around something, especially in the air 〔尤指在空中〕（绕…）盘旋 The plane circled the airport before landing. 飞机着陆前在机场上空盘旋。circle round/above/over etc The pigeons circled above the terrace. 鸽子在平台上方盘旋。→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

circle• We all looked towards the sky where the vultures were circling.• As we walked along the beach, I could see seagulls circling above the cliffs.• The birds flew up noisily, circled, and then they came down and settled in another tree not far away.• Her arms circled his neck, as the words roared unstoppably inside her head.• You were both circling like gladiators.• And then I saw a bee circling my head and I could not move.• Helicopters circled overhead, trying to get pictures of the crime scene.• Helicopters circled overhead.• He circled slowly and methodically up, holding his wings in a stiff, lacquered bow, never flapping, always soaring.• Before leaving, we lowered one of our motorboats to circle the area.• Kelly hit the ball over the fence and circled the bases.• Glenn circled the date on his calendar.• Instead, leaders increasingly see it as their job to circle the wagons.circle round/above/over etc• He swept down the gorge, circled round, and made a second pass at the Falls to lose altitude.• Its engine is missing badly and it's circling round as if looking for a landing-place.• The aeroplane - quite a small one - was circling round far overhead.• In the Sokol valley I was lucky enough to watch a stock circling above for several minutes.• In a larger circle round the central picture are apostles and saints against a dark blue background.• Dealers would put down the phones, crowding in a circle round the contestants.• A pair of night birds circled above, the flapping of their wings and their eerie screeches penetrating the thickening mist.• We had our little mock boxing-matches, in my study, circling round the table as if it were a ring.Origin circle1 (1000-1100) Old French cercle, from Latin circulus, from circus; → CIRCUS

cir·cle1 noun →n COLLOCATIONS1circle2 verbLDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable  

round O completely like the letter a Corpus shape,

circle

I

cir‧cle¹ S2 W2 /ˈsɜːkəl $ ˈsɜːr-/ noun [countable]1.  SHAPE a completely round shape, like the letter O:
    Draw a circle 10 cm in diameter.
    Cut the pastry into circles.
2.  ARRANGED IN A CIRCLE a group of people or things arranged in the shape of a circle:
    The children stood round in a circle.
    circle of
    a circle of chairs
3.  GROUP OF PEOPLE a group of people who know each other and meet regularly, or who have similar interests or jobs
    circle of
    a circle of friends
    political/legal/literary etc circles
    He’s well-known in fashionable circles.
    Johnson was part of the President’s inner circle (=the people who have the most influence).
4.  THEATRE British English the upper floor of a theatre, that has seats arranged in curved rows
   SYN  balcony American English
5. go/run around in circles to think or argue about something without deciding anything or making progress
6. come/go full circle (also turn full circle British English) to end in the same situation in which you began, even though there have been changes in the time in between:
    Sooner or later, fashion comes full circle.
7. (dark) circles under your eyes dark areas under your eyes that you have when you are very tired
⇨ square the circle at square³(5), ⇨ vicious circle
     

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meaning 3)

■ phrases
   ▪ a circle of friends Over the years she had established a circle of good friends.
   ▪ a circle of acquaintances (=a group of people that someone knows) She has a wide circle of acquaintances.
   ▪ a circle of admirers (=a group of people who admire someone) When she was young, Sophie had a large circle of male admirers.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + circle
   ▪ academic/political/literary etc circles There has been a lot of debate about this issue in political circles.
   ▪ a wide/large circle They now had a wide circle of acquaintances in the area.
   ▪ a small/narrow circle Ken was the centre of a small circle of artists and writers.
   ▪ sb’s inner circle (=the people who influence someone the most) He was among the Prime Minister’s inner circle of advisers.
   ▪ a social circle Dan and I didn’t mix in the same social circles.
   ▪ the family circle It’s important for children to have friends outside the family circle.
   ▪ sb’s immediate circle (=your family and some close friends) We didn’t tell anyone what had happened outside our immediate circle.
   ▪ a close circle (=in which the people know each other very well) He cultivated a close circle of musical acquaintances.
   ▪ a close-knit/intimate circle (=a close one) His intimate circle was tiny.
   ▪ a closed circle (=not open to other people) He didn’t have much experience of life beyond the closed circle of his family.
   ▪ a limited circle His writing was popular with a limited circle of enthusiasts.
■ verbs
   ▪ have a circle of friends/acquaintances etc She was beautiful and had a wide circle of admirers.
   ▪ move/mix in a circle (=belong to a particular type of circle) At Harvard he moved in scientific circles.
   ▪ be a member of a circle He was a powerful member of a circle of financiers.
   ▪ widen your circle (=make it include more people) In London she set about widening her circle.
   ▪ build up/establish a circle Michael built up a wide circle of customers and friends worldwide.
     

THESAURUS

■ types of shapes
   ▪ square a shape with four straight sides that are equal in length and four angles of 90 degrees
   ▪ circle a round shape that is like an O
   ▪ semicircle half a circle
   ▪ triangle a shape with three straight sides and three angles
   ▪ rectangle a shape with four straight sides and four angles of 90 degrees
   ▪ oval a shape like a circle, but that is longer than it is wide
   ▪ cylinder an object in the shape of a tube
   ▪ cube a solid object with six equal square sides
   ▪ pyramid a shape with a square base and four triangular sides that meet in a point at the top
   ▪ sphere a shape like a ball

II

circle² verb1. [transitive] to draw a circle around something:
    Circle the correct answer.
2. [intransitive and transitive] to move in the shape of a circle around something, especially in the air:
    The plane circled the airport before landing.
    circle round/above/over etc
    The pigeons circled above the terrace.