Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CIP'O-LIN, n. [Qu. It. cipolla, an onion, cipollina, a shalot.]

A green marble from Rome, containing white zones. It consists chiefly of carbonate of lime, with quartz, shistus, and a small portion of iron. – Nicholson.

CIP'PUS, n.¹ [L.]

A small grave stone.

CIP'PUS, n.² [L.]

A stake; a little hill or monument.

CIRC, n.

See CIRCUS.

CIR-CAS'SIAN, a.

1. Pertaining to Circassia in Asia.
2. A woolen cloth.

CIR-CE'AN, a.

Pertaining to Circe, the fabled daughter of Sol and Perseis, who was supposed to possess great knowledge of magic and venomous herbs, by which she was able to charm and fascinate. – Bryant.

CIR-CEN'SIAN, a. [L. circenses, games of the circus.]

Pertaining to the Circus, in Rome, where were practiced games of various kinds, as running, wrestling, combats, &c. The Circensian games accompanied most of the feasts of the Romans; but the grand games were held five days commencing on the 15th of September. – Lempriere. Encyc.

CIR'CI-NAL, a. [L. circinus, a compass; circino, to go round. See Circle.]

Rolled in spirally downward, the tip occupying the center; a term in foliation or leafing, as in ferns. – Martyn.

CIR'CI-NATE, v.t. [L. circino, to go round.]

To make a circle; to compass.

CIR-CI-NA'TION, n.

An orbicular motion. [Not used.] – Bailey.

CIR'CLE, n. [sur'kl; Fr. cercle; It. circolo; L. circulus, from circus; Gr. κιρκος; Sp. cerco; It. cerchio; from the Celtic, W. cyrc, from cwr, a circle, a limit; Ar. كَارَ kara, to go round. Class Gr, No. 32, 34.]

1. In geometry, a plane figure, comprehended by a single curve line, called its circumference, every part of which is equally distant from a point called the center. Of course all lines drawn from the center to the circumference or periphery, are equal to each other.
2. In popular use, the line that comprehends the figure, the plane or surface comprehended, and the whole body or solid matter of a round substance, are denominated a circle; a ring; an orb; the earth. He that sitteth on the circle of the earth. Is. xl.
3. Compass; circuit; as, the circle of the forest. – Shak.
4. An assembly surrounding the principal person. Hence, any company, or assembly; as, a circle of friends, or of beauties. Hence the word came to signify indefinitely a number of persons of a particular character, whether associated or not; as, a political circle; the circle of one's acquaintance; having however reference to a primary association.
5. A series ending where it begins, and perpetually repeated; a going round. Thus in a circle runs the peasant's pain. – Dryden.
6. Circumlocution; indirect form of words. – Fletcher.
7. In logic, an inconclusive form of argument, when the same terms are proved in orbem by the same terms, and the parts of the syllogism alternately by each other, directly and indirectly; or when the foregoing proposition is proved by the following, and the following is inferred from the foregoing; as, “that heavy bodies descend by gravity, and that gravity is a quality by which a heavy body descends?” – Encyc. Glanville. Watts.
8. Circles of the sphere, are such as cut the mundane sphere, and have their periphery either on its movable surface, as the meridians; or in another immovable, conterminous and equidistant surface, as the ecliptic, equator, and its parallels.
9. Circles of altitude or almucantars, are circles parallel to the horizon, having their common pole in the zenith, and diminishing as they approach the zenith.
10. Circles of latitude, are great circles perpendicular to the plane of the ecliptic, passing through its poles and through every star and planet.
11. Circles of longitude; are lesser circles parallel to the ecliptic, diminishing as they recede from it.
12. Circle of perpetual apparition, one of the lesser circles, parallel to the equator, described by any point of the sphere touching the northern point of the horizon, and carried about with the diurnal motion. The stars within this circle never set.
13. Circle of perpetual occultation, another lesser circle at a like distance from the equator, which includes all the stars which never appear in our hemisphere.
14. Diurnal circles, are immovable circles supposed to be described by the several stars and other points in the heavens, in their diurnal rotation round the earth, or rather in the rotation of the earth round its axis.
15. Horary circles, in dialing, are the lines which show the hours on dials.
16. Circles of the empire, the provinces or principalities of the German empire, which have a right to be present at the diets. Maximilian I. divided the empire into six circles at first, and afterwards into ten; Austria, Burgundy, Lower Rhine, Bavaria, Upper Saxony, Franconia, Swabia, Upper Rhine, Westphalia, and Lower Saxony.
17. Druidical circles, in British topography, are certain ancient inclosures formed by rude stones circularly arranged; as Stonehenge near Salisbury. – Encyc.

CIR'CLE, v.i.

To move circularly; as, the bowl circles; the circling years.

CIR'CLE, v.t.

1. To move round; to revolve round. And other planets circle other suns. – Pope.
2. To encircle; to encompass; to surround; to inclose. – Prior. Pope.
3. To circle in, to confine; to keep together. – Digby.

CIR'CLED, a.

Having the form of a circle; round; as, the moon's circled orb. – Shak.

CIR'CLED, pp.

Surrounded; encompassed; inclosed.

CIR'CLER, n.

A mean poet, or circular poet. – B. Jonson.

CIR'CLET, n.

A little circle; a circle; an orb. – Pope.

CIR'CLING, a.

Circular; round. – Milton.

CIR'CLING, ppr.

Surrounding; going round; inclosing.

CIR'CUIT, n. [sur'kit; Fr. circuit; L. circuitus; of circa, circum, and eo, to go.]

1. The act of moving or passing round; as, the periodical circuit of the earth round the sun, or of the moon round the earth. – Watts.
2. The space inclosed in a circle, or within certain limits. – Milton.
3. Any space or extent measured by traveling round. – Addison.
4. That which encircles; a ring; a diadem. – Shak.
5. In England, the journey of judges through several counties or boroughs, for the purpose of holding courts. In the United States, the journey of judges through certain states or counties for the same purpose.
6. The counties or states in which the same judge or judges hold courts and administer justice. It is common to designate a certain number of counties to form a circuit, and to assign one or more judges to each circuit. The courts in the circuits are called circuit courts. In the government of the United States, a certain number of states form a circuit.
7. A long deduction of reason. – Donne.
8. In law, a longer course of proceedings than is necessary to recover the thing sued for. – Cowel. Encyc. Johnson. Bailey gives this as the definition of Circuity.

CIR'CUIT, v.i.

To move in a circle; to go round. – Philips.

CIR'CUIT, v.t.

To move or go round. – Warton.

CIR-CUIT-EER', n.

One that travels a circuit. – Pope.

CIR-CU-I'TION, n. [L. circuitio.]

The act of going round; compass; circumlocution. [Little used.] Hooker.

CIR'CUIT-OUS, a. [sur'kitous.]

Going round in a circuit; not direct; as, a circuitous road or course.