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arc
[ ahrk ]
/ ɑrk /
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noun
Geometry. any unbroken part of the circumference of a circle or other curved line.
Also called electric arc. Electricity. a luminous bridge formed in a gap between two electrodes.Compare spark1 (def. 2).
Astronomy. the part of a circle representing the apparent course of a heavenly body.
anything bow-shaped.
verb (used without object), arced [ahrkt] /ɑrkt/ or arcked, arc·ing [ahr-king] /ˈɑr kɪŋ/ or arck·ing.
to form an electric arc.
to move in a curve suggestive of an arc.
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Origin of arc
1350–1400; Middle English ark<Latin arcus bow, arch, curve
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH arc
arc , arkWords nearby arc
arbtrn., Arbus, arbuscular mycorrhiza, Arbuthnot, arbutus, arc, arca, arcade, arcaded, arcade game, Arcadia
Other definitions for arc (2 of 3)
Other definitions for arc (3 of 3)
ARC2
or A.R.C.
abbreviation
American Red Cross.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use arc in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for arc (1 of 2)
arc
/ (ɑːk) /
noun
verb arcs, arcing, arced, arcs, arcking or arcked
(intr) to form an arc
prefix
maths specifying an inverse trigonometric function: usually written arcsin, arctan, arcsec, etc, or sometimes sin –1, tan –1, sec –1, etc
Word Origin for arc
C14: from Old French, from Latin arcus bow, arch
British Dictionary definitions for arc (2 of 2)
ARC
abbreviation for
AIDS-related complex: an early condition in which a person infected with the AIDS virus may suffer from such mild symptoms as loss of weight, fever, etc
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for arc
arc
[ ärk ]
A segment of a circle.
See electric arc.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.