Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CIR'CUIT-OUS-LY, adv.

In a circuit.

CIR-CU'I-TY, n.

A going round; a course not direct. – Ash.

CIR'CU-LAR, a. [L. circularis. See Circle.]

1. In the form of a circle; round; circumscribed by a circle; spherical; as, the sun appears to be circular.
2. Successive in order; always returning. – Roscommon.
3. Vulgar; mean; circumforaneous; as, a circular poet. – Dennis.
4. Ending in itself; used of a paralogism, where the second proposition at once proves the first, and is proved by it. – Johnson. Baker.
5. Addressed to a circle, or to a number of persons having a common interest; as, a circular letter.
6. Circular lines, such straight lines as are divided from the divisions made in the arch of a circle; as, the lines of sines, tangents and secants, on the plain scale and sector. Johnson.
7. Circular numbers, are those whose powers terminate in the roots themselves; as 5 and 6, whose squares are 25 and 36. – Bailey.
8. Circular sailing, is the method of sailing by the arch of a great circle. – Encyc.

CIR'CU-LAR, n.

A circular letter, or paper.

CIR'CU-LAR'I-TY, n.

A circular form.

CIR'CU-LAR-LY, adv.

In a circular manner; in the form of a circle; in the form of going and returning.

CIR'CU-LATE, v.i. [sur'kulate; Fr. circuler; L. circulo.]

1. To move in a circle; to move or pass round; to move round and return to the same point; as, the blood circulates in the body.
2. To pass from place to place, from person to person, or from hand to hand; to be diffused; as, money circulates in the country; a story circulates in town.
3. To move round; to run; to flow in veins or channels, or in an inclosed place; as, the sap of plants circulates; water circulates in the earth, or air in a city or house.

CIR'CU-LATE, v.t.

To cause to pass from place to place, or from person to person; to put about; to spread; as, to circulate a report; to circulate bills of credit.

CIR'CU-LA-TED, pp.

Caused to pass round.

CIR'CU-LA-TING, ppr.

Moving or passing round.

CIR-CU-LA'TION, n.

1. The act of moving round, or in a circle, or in a course which brings or tends to bring the moving body to the point where its motion began; as, the circulation of the blood in the body.
2. A series in which the same order is preserved and things return to the same state.
3. The act of going and returning; or of passing from place to place, or from person to person; as, the circulation of money.
4. Currency; circulating coin, or notes or bills current for coin.
5. In chimistry, circulation is an operation by which the same vapor, raised by fire, falls back to be returned and distilled several times.

CIR-CU-LA-TO'RI-OUS, a.

Traveling in a circuit, or from house to house. [Little used.] – Barrow.

CIR'CU-LA-TO-RY, a.

1. Circular; as, a circulatory letter.
2. Circulating.

CIR'CU-LA-TORY, n.

A chimical vessel, in which that which rises from the vessel on the fire is collected and cooled in another fixed upon it, and falls down again. – Johnson.

CIR-CUM-AG'I-TATE, v.t.

To agitate on all sides.

CIR-CUM-AM'BI-EN-CY, n. [L. circum, around, and ambio, to go about. See Ambient.]

The act of surrounding, or encompassing. – Brown.

CIR-CUM-AM'BI-ENT, a.

Surrounding; encompassing; inclosing or being on all sides; used particularly of the air about the earth.

CIR-CUM-AM'BU-LATE, v.i. [L. circumambulo, to walk round; circum and ambulo.]

To walk round about.

CIR-CUM-AM-BU-LA'TION, n.

The act of walking round.

CIR-CUM-CEL'LION, n. [L. circum, about, and cella, a cell, or cellar. Hence, a vagrant.]

In Church history, a set of illiterate peasants that adhered to the Donatists in the fourth century. – Milner.

CIR'CUM-CISE, v.t. [sur'cumsize; L. circumcido, circum, around, and cido, to cut; Fr. circoncire; Sp. circoncidar; It. circoncidere.]

1. To cut off the prepuce or foreskin of males; a ceremony or rite in the Jewish and Mahommedan religions. The word is applied also to a practice among some nations of performing the like operation upon females.
2. To put off the sins of the flesh; to become spiritual or holy. – Col. ii. 11.

CIR'CUM-CIS-ER, n.

One who performs circumcision. – Milton.

CIR'CUM-CIS-ION, n.

1. The act of cutting off the prepuce or foreskin.
2. Rejection of the sins of the flesh; spiritual purification, and acceptance of the Christian faith.
3. The Jews, as distinguished from Gentiles. – Col. iv. 11.

CIR-CUM-CLU'SION, n.

The act of inclosing on all sides.

CIR-CUM-CUR-SA'TION, n. [L. circum, about, and curso, to run.]

The act of running about. [Not used.] – Barrow.