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.
Astronomy. the part of a circle representing the apparent course of a heavenly body.
anything bow-shaped.
to form an electric arc.
to move in a curve suggestive of an arc.
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
1350–1400; Middle English ark < Latin arcus bow, arch, curve
An arc is a curve. You can describe the bend of a rainbow as an arc. In math, an arc is one section of a circle, but in life you can use the word to mean any curved shape, like the arc of a ballerina's arm or the graceful arc of a flowering vine over a trellis. In the 14th century, arc first meant the movement of the sun in the sky, from the Old French arc, "bow or arch," and the Latin root arcus, also "bow or arch."
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The only dance record on the shortlist, Nia Archives' second album traces the arc of a relationship from the first flush of love to a breakup so ugly that her partner calls the police.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
I do believe that in writing, there is a rhythm and melody within a sentence, just like there’s a narrative arc in a guitar solo.”
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
Nolan preserves the broad arc of Odysseus’ struggle to return home while freely reshaping what happens along the way, often shifting the emphasis from the mythological to the psychological.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Carn said a dramatic escalation appears unlikely because the eruption is associated with a volcanic ridge near the intersection of a transform fault and a back arc spreading center.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 10, 2026
And here we are, at the center of the arc, trapped in the gaudiest, most valuable, and most improbable water wheel the world has ever seen.
From "The Fire Next Time" by James Baldwin
ARC produces about 375,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, with liquids accounting for 40% of it, Shell says.
From Barron's ● Apr. 27, 2026
Shell also is taking on $2.8 billion of ARC net debt and leases.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 27, 2026
Last year, ARC reported production of 374,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day, before royalty burdens.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 27, 2026
"Until recently, while stellar rotation was thought to be part of solving this conundrum, limited computing abilities prevented us from quantitatively testing the hypothesis," says Falk Herwig, principal investigator and director of ARC.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 24, 2026
Rapidly becoming obsolete as the ARC compression method is falling into disuse, having been replaced by newer compression techniques.
From The Jargon File, Version 2.9.10, 01 Jul 1992 by Raymond, Eric S.
The findings improve scientists' understanding of gold-rich deposits associated with intra-oceanic island arcs such as the Kermadec Arc.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
"Our research shows that hydrous mantle melting beneath island arcs is a key driver of gold enrichment," says Timm.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
Before Alphy, past seasons featured arcs about its citizens and vicars confronting bigotry.
From Salon ● Jun. 16, 2026
Emotional arcs are readily discernible, and there are surprising shifts in tempo and density.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
He wanted to sit with them on curbstones and compare the sharpness of jackknives, the distance and arcs of spitting.
From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison
Robinson left-footed the ball to an unmarked Dest at the top of the box, a shot that was blocked in the wall, then arced toward the goal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
Suddenly, the whale’s dark body arced above the surface before diving down to reveal its tail, or fluke.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026
Bath were shocked as Ramm powered through a gap between defenders and arced away from the covering Bailey to score the home side's third try in fewer than 15 minutes.
From BBC ● Jan. 5, 2025
Experts who watched videos showing downed power lines agreed wire that was insulated would not have arced and sparked, igniting a line of flame.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 26, 2023
My other arm arced in front of us, the way I’d seen Styx do.
From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon
A birthday party had just ended, and he was offered a piece of cake, chocolate with a jelly-bean rainbow arcing across the frosting.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2025
The delivery to get Rahul was an arcing inswinger, the appeal turned down on the field, then overturned by the replay.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2025
It soars upward and hangs there for four seconds, six seconds, eight—a black meteor arcing against the blue sky.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2025
The familiar approach, arcing towards the stumps, heels kicking up, limbs loose.
From BBC ● May 23, 2025
No unearthly glowing, no strange crackling sounds, no arcing electrical charges.
From "Things Not Seen" by Andrew Clements
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
