circle

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.