arc

[ ahrk ]

/ ɑrk /

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.

QUIZZES

DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!

We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?

Question 1 of 11

Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?

owl

crow

piranha

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of arc

1350–1400; Middle English ark<Latin arcus bow, arch, curve

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH arc

arc , ark

Words nearby arc

arbtrn., Arbus, arbuscular mycorrhiza, Arbuthnot, arbutus, arc, arca, arcade, arcaded, arcade game, Arcadia

Definition for arc (2 of 3)

ARC¹

[ ahrk ]

/ ɑrk /

noun

Pathology. AIDS-related complex.

Definition for arc (3 of 3)

ARC²

or A.R.C.

American Red Cross.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for arc

Mitchell made 19 of his 33 shots from the field and six of 15 from behind the 3-point arc, and he paraded himself to the free-throw line 13 times, connecting on all 13 tries.
Monster Games In The NBA Playoffs Aren’t Automatically Translating To Wins|Jared Dubin|August 26, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Harden’s teammates went 19 of 50 from beyond the arc, and the Rockets won the game.
The Raptors’ Defense Is Almost Never The Same, But It’s Always Really Good|Jared Dubin|August 17, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
The ones they’ve found shape an arc, not quite a full circle.
Underground mega-monument found near Stonehenge|Avery Elizabeth Hurt|August 11, 2020|Science News For Students
All societies are just snippets of “the great arc of potential human purposes and motivations,” Benedict once wrote.
Gender Is What You Make of It - Issue 88: Love & Sex|Charles King|August 5, 2020|Nautilus

This created an additional dim bow whose bottom hung below the primary arc.
Explainer: Rainbows, fogbows and their eerie cousins|Matthew Cappucci|May 1, 2020|Science News For Students
So the plan is for Ken to draw an arc with Dale doing covers, and then Dale does an arc with Ken doing covers.
Gail Simone’s Bisexual Catman and the ‘Secret Six’|Rich Goldstein|December 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A Molotov cocktail tumbled in an arc overhead and erupted briefly in a blaze.
Mexican Protesters Look to Start a New Revolution|Jason McGahan|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At this point in the arc, he doubts what Hershel is telling him.
The Walking Dead’s Luke Skywalker: Rick Grimes Is the Perfect Modern-Day Mythical Hero|Regina Lizik|October 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And the scene had such a huge beginning, middle, and end, and such an arc.
Kerry Washington’s Favorite ‘Scandal’ Season 3 Moments|Kerry Washington|August 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
How much did you know about your arc and all its twists before shooting?
Joan Allen on ‘The Killing’ Finale and That Mother of a Twist|Kevin Fallon|August 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The arc of light became an arch and then a crescent, and swelled even as he looked.
Operation: Outer Space|William Fitzgerald Jenkins
When she stood before others, they saw Joan of Arc, but he saw France.
Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc|Mark Twain
Horizontally, the head and body traverse an arc of about 100°; vertically, they traverse an arc slightly less than 180°.
Natural History of the Bell Vireo, Vireo bellii Audubon|Jon C. Barlow
Calm courage, that would die, like Joan of Arc in the flames, met his inquiry.
The Entailed Hat|George Alfred Townsend
The city is well illuminated by arc lights and electricity is largely used by business offices and residences.
Atlanta|Atlanta Chamber of Commerce

British Dictionary definitions for arc (1 of 2)

arc

/ (ɑːk) /

noun

something curved in shape

part of an unbroken curved line

a luminous discharge that occurs when an electric current flows between two electrodes or any other two surfaces separated by a small gap and a high potential difference

astronomy a circular section of the apparent path of a celestial body

maths a section of a curve, graph, or geometric figure

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

Medical definitions for arc (1 of 2)

arc

[ ärk ]

n.

A curved line or segment of a circle.

Medical definitions for arc (2 of 2)

ARC

abbr.

AIDS-related complex

Scientific definitions for arc

arc

[ ärk ]

A segment of a circle.

See electric arc.

MEANINGS

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WORD OF THE DAY

arc

noun

verb (used without object), arced [ahrkt] /ɑrkt/ or arcked, arc·ing [ahr-king] /ˈɑr kɪŋ/ or arck·ing.

QUIZZES

DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!

Origin of arc

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH arc

Words nearby arc

Definition for arc (2 of 3)

noun