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# circle

«circle» in Mova's school dictionary: **a round flat shape** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (circle, circles); verb (circle, circles, circled, circling)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A circle is a round flat shape. Every point on its edge is the same distance from the middle (the centre). [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/circle/#m1)

2) A circle of people or things is a group arranged in a ring. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/circle/#m2)

3) To circle something is to draw a ring around it: «circle the answer». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/circle/#m3)

4) To circle is to move round and round something: «the plane circled the airport». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/circle/#m4)

5) A circle of friends is a group of friends. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/circle/#m5)

6) A circle can also be one full round of time that ends where it began, such as a day or a year. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/circle/#m6)

### sense in the lessons

In school maths: a shape with a centre, radius (centre to edge), diameter (edge to edge through the centre, twice the radius) and circumference (the distance around); things arranged in a circle (gaps equal things); «circle the right answer». In everyday life: circle time, sitting in a circle, a traffic circle (roundabout). Phrases: «in a circle», «circle the answer», «full circle», «circle time».

### examples

- 6 children stand in a circle. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/circle/#x1)
- Trees are planted around a circle. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/circle/#x2)
- Circle the right answer. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/circle/#x3)
- Draw a circle with radius 3 cm. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/circle/#x4)
- The diameter of a circle is twice the radius. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/circle/#x5)
- We sat in a circle for circle time. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/circle/#x6)
- Eagles circled high above the hill. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/circle/#x7)
- A circle has no corners and no straight sides. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/circle/#x8)
- In a few moments the day had completed its circle. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/circle/#x9)

### note

Countable: «a circle». A circle is flat; a ball (a sphere) is round in 3D. Maths: in a circle the number of gaps equals the number of things (not one less); diameter = 2 × radius. Trap: using the line rule (+1) on a circle.

### In the corpora

- [Bon Odori is a calm circle dance at Japan's summer Obon festival, which honours the spirits of ancestors.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/arts/30-dances-of-the-world-and-dancing-at-parties/12/)
- [Baby elephants stay close to mothers and aunts, who circle them when lions or hyenas come; babies suck their trunks for comfort.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/149-myth-check-are-elephants-scared-of-mice/16/)
- [Leafcutter bees wrap their rooms in neat circles cut from rose leaves.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/305-bees-beyond-the-hive-bumblebees-solitary-bees-carpenter-bees-and-stingless-bees/4/)
- [Teeth are brushed gently in small circles with a soft brush, because hard scrubbing hurts the gums and wears the teeth.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/73-brushing-your-teeth/9/)
- [Signs with a red circle usually give orders or say no.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/267-traffic-lights-and-signs/12/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «circle» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/circle/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.