circus en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /sɪɾkəs/ (Scotland)
- /søːkəs/ (New-Zealand, Wales)
- /ˈsɝkəs/ (Canada, General-American)
- /sɛːkəs/ Humberside, Teesside
- /ˈsɜːkəs/ (Australia, Received-Pronunciation)
- (US) audio
- /seːkəs/ Liverpool
Etymology
From Middle English circus, circo, from Latin circus (“ring, circle”), from Ancient Greek κρίκος (kríkos), κίρκος (kírkos, “ring”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to bend, turn”). Doublet of cirque. Cognate with Old English hring (whence English ring) and Old English hringsetl (“circus”, literally “ring-seat”).
Meanings
-
A traveling company of performers that may include acrobats, clowns, trained animals, and other novelty acts, that gives shows usually in a circular tent.
The circus will be in town next week.
-
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.
-
(figuratively) A spectacle; a noisy fuss; a chaotic and/or crowded place.
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.
2009, Christine Brooks, A Quiet Village, page 81:
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(dated, slang) An undertaking or arrangement.
"Right you are; I'll put him wise," undertook Nickle briskly. "After all, it's entirely your circus. Shall we stay here and—"
1934, Ernest Bramah, The Bravo of London:
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(collective, rare) A group of puffins.
The circus of puffins were pictured by Alana Willox who was out on a walk at the Bullers of Buchan in Buchan, Aberdeenshire on Sunday.
2022 April 20, Darren McConachie, “Scots amateur photographer captures stunning images of puffins”, in Deadline:A 'CIRCUS' of puffins will take flight to their new perches over the next few days, after their official unveiling at Government House.
2023 March 30, “Parade puffins officially unveiled at Government House”, in Guernsey Press:
- (historical) In the ancient Roman Empire, a building for chariot racing.
- (qualifier: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.
-
(obsolete) Circuit; space; enclosure.
The narrow circus of my dungeon wall.
1817, Lord Byron, The Lament of Tasso:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| circi | Number=Plur | rare | lexicographic |
| circuses | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| circusses | Number=Plur | rare | lexicographic |
Coordinates
concourse (open space)
Deriveds
circusless · new circus · circuslike · circus act · circusy · let's get this circus on the road · media circus · flying circus · psychedelic circus · circus ring · anticircus · Piccadilly Circus · noncircus · three-ring circus · flea circus · circusgoer · circus peanut · crap circus · shit circus · circusiana · circus freak · contemporary circus · a few clowns short of a circus · circus-goer · bread and circuses
Descendants
Relateds
Translations (103)
tg сирк (company that travels) · lv cirks (company that travels) · eu zirku (company that travels) · pl cyrk (round open space) · am ሲርኩስ (company that travels) · pl cyrk (company that travels) · nb sirkus (company that travels) · sc circu (company that travels) · si සර්කස් (company that travels) · hu körtér (round open space) · fa-ira سیرْک (company that travels) · sh cìrkus (company that travels) · ko 곡마단 (company that travels) · mi tākihi (company that travels) · vo sirkud (company that travels) · kk цирк (company that travels) · ro circ (company that travels) · da cirkus (company that travels) · fi sirkus (company that travels) · vi xiệc (company that travels) · ms bulatan (round open space) · oc circ (company that travels) · lo ລະຄອນສັດ (company that travels) · te సర్కస్ (company that travels) · ms sarkas (company that travels) · my ဆပ်ကပ် (company that travels) · pl rondo (round open space) · nl circus (company that travels) · la circēnsēs (company that travels) · sh цѝркус (company that travels) · th ละครสัตว์ (company that travels) · mk циркус (company that travels) · sv cirkus (company that travels) · pt circo (company that travels) · ca circ (company that travels) · fi aukio (round open space) · ky цирк (company that travels) · izh tsirkka (company that travels) · it circo (company that travels) · ang hringsetl (company that travels) · prs سَرْکَس (company that travels) · mn ᠼᠢᠷᠻ (company that travels) · cmn 雜技場 /杂技场 (company that travels) · fr cirque (company that travels) · mn цирк (company that travels) · mr सर्कस (company that travels) · cs cirkus (company that travels) · hu körönd (round open space) · sl cirkus (company that travels) · ga sorcas (company that travels) · ko 서커스 (company that travels) · be цырк (company that travels) · az sirk (company that travels) · bg кръ́гъл площа́д (round open space) · el τσίρκο (company that travels) · ja サーカス (company that travels) · cmn 馬戲場 /马戏场 (company that travels) · sq cirk (company that travels) · ta வட்டரங்கு (company that travels) · ru кру́глая пло́щадь (round open space) · tk aýman (company that travels) · ru цирк (company that travels) · nn sirkus (company that travels) · af sirkus (company that travels) · uz sirk (company that travels) · ur سَرْکَس (company that travels) · eo cirklo (round open space) · pt cruzamento (round open space) · id sirkus (company that travels) · he קִרְקָס (company that travels) · ug سېرك (company that travels) · rue ці́ркус (company that travels) · it circo (round open space) · bg цирк (company that travels) · cmn 馬戲團 /马戏团 (company that travels) · ps سرکس (company that travels) · ka ცირკი (company that travels) · ar سِيرْك (company that travels) · de Zirkus (company that travels) · ota جانبازخانه (company that travels) · bn সার্কাস (company that travels) · hi सर्कस (company that travels) · gl circo (company that travels) · es circo (company that travels) · ps سېرک (company that travels) · vi xiếc (company that travels) · ast circu (company that travels) · hy կրկես (company that travels) · tl sirko (company that travels) · km សៀក (company that travels) · tk sirk (company that travels) · et tsirkus (company that travels) · lo ກາຍຍະສິນ (company that travels) · ja 曲馬団 (company that travels) · hu cirkusz (company that travels) · eo cirko (company that travels) · sc tzircu (company that travels) · yi צירק (company that travels) · fo sirkus (company that travels) · sk cirkus (company that travels) · tr sirk (company that travels) · lt cirkas (company that travels) · uk цирк (company that travels)