circuit

American  

[sur-kit] / ˈsɜr kɪt /

noun

1. an act or instance of going or moving around.

2. a circular journey or one beginning and ending at the same place; a round.

   Synonyms:

   orbit, revolution, tour

3. a roundabout journey or course.

4. a periodical journey from place to place, to perform certain duties, as by judges to hold court, ministers to preach, or salespeople covering a route.

5. the persons making such a journey.

6. the route followed, places visited, or district covered by such a journey.

7. the line going around or bounding any area or object; the distance about an area or object.

   Synonyms:

   compass, boundary, periphery, perimeter, circumference

8. the space within a bounding line; district.

   the circuit of the valley.

   Synonyms:

   field, range, area, compass, region

9. Electricity.

   1. Also called electric circuit.  the complete path of an electric current, including the generating apparatus, intervening resistors, or capacitors.

   2. any well-defined segment of a complete circuit.

10. Telecommunications. a means of transmitting communication signals or messages, usually comprising two channels for interactive communication.

11. a number of theaters, nightclubs, etc., controlled by the same owner or manager or visited in turn by the same entertainers or acting companies.

    Synonyms:

    chain

12. a league or association.

    He used to play baseball for the Texas circuit.

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verb (used with object)

1. to go or move around; make the circuit of.

verb (used without object)

1. to go or move in a circuit.

idioms

1. ride circuit, (of a judge) to travel a judicial county or district in order to conduct judicial proceedings.

circuit British  

/ ˈsɜːkɪt /

noun

1. 1. a complete route or course, esp one that is curved or circular or that lies around an object

   2. the area enclosed within such a route

2. the act of following such a route

   we made three circuits of the course

3. 1. a complete path through which an electric current can flow

   2. ( as modifier )

      a circuit diagram

4. 1. a periodical journey around an area, as made by judges, salesmen, etc

   2. the route traversed or places visited on such a journey

   3. the persons making such a journey

5. an administrative division of the Methodist Church comprising a number of neighbouring churches

6. English law one of six areas into which England is divided for the administration of justice

7. a number of theatres, cinemas, etc, under one management or in which the same film is shown or in which a company of performers plays in turn

8. sport

   1. a series of tournaments in which the same players regularly take part

      the international tennis circuit

   2. the contestants who take part in such a series

9. a motor racing track, usually of irregular shape

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verb

1. to make or travel in a circuit around (something)

circuit Scientific  

/ sûr′kĭt /

1. A closed path through which an electric current flows or may flow.

2. ◆ Circuits in which a power source is connected to two or more components (such as light bulbs, or logic gates in a computer circuit), one after the other, are called series circuits. If the circuit is broken, none of the components receives a current. Circuits in which a power source is directly connected to two or more components are called parallel circuits. If a break occurs in the circuit, only the component along whose path the break occurs stops receiving a current.

3. A system of electrically connected parts or devices.

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Other Word Forms

• circuital adjective
• minicircuit noun
• multicircuit noun
• multicircuited adjective
• noncircuited adjective
• subcircuit noun

Etymology

Origin of circuit

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin circuitus, variant of circumitus circular motion, cycle, equivalent to circu ( m ) i-, variant stem of circu ( m ) īre to go round, circle ( circum- circum- + īre to go) + -tus suffix of v. action; ambit, exit ¹

Example Sentences

The cerebral cortex consists of six layers that work together to form highly intricate neural circuits.

From Science Daily

But his biggest play is the cross-border Baltic League - one he believes would generate revenue, develop players and help clubs grow on the European circuit.

From BBC

Biffle was a retired driver who won more than 50 races across NASCAR’s three circuits, including 19 in the Cup Series.

From Los Angeles Times

The biggest data centers each require tens of thousands of metric tons of copper for all the wires, busbars, circuit boards, transformers and other electrical components housed there.

From The Wall Street Journal

Five-time major winner Koepka announced his return to the US circuit on Monday under a new program that created a pathway back for stars who joined the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit.

From Barron's

Related Words

• course
• district
• lap
• route
• tour