circus
/ˈsɜːkəs/ · noun
Meaning
- A traveling company of performers that may include acrobats, clowns, trained animals, and other novelty acts, that gives shows usually in a circular tent.
- A round open space in a town or city where multiple streets meet.
- A spectacle; a noisy fuss; a chaotic and/or crowded place.
- An undertaking or arrangement.
- In the ancient Roman Empire, a building for chariot racing.
- 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.
- Circuit; space; enclosure.
- To take part in a circus; or to be displayed as if in a circus.
Etymology / origin
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”).
- hringsetl(Old English)→
- ring(English)→
- hring(Old English)→
- *(s)ker-(ine-pro)→
- κρίκος(Ancient Greek)→
- circus(Latin)→
- circus(enm)→
- *(s)ker- (turn)(ine-pro)→
- circus (English)
- Relations: root, inh, der, der, der, cog, cog, cog
Related words
Descendant words
- ဆပ်ကပ်(Burmese) (bor)
- सर्कस(Hindi) (bor)
- sorcas(Irish) (bor)
- サーカス(Japanese) (bor)
- 서커스(Korean) (bor)
- sarkas(Malay) (bor)
- سرکس(Persian) (bor)
- cyrk(Polish) (cog)
- sarakasi(Swahili) (bor)
- سرکس(Urdu) (bor)
- syrcas(Welsh) (bor)
Sources
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