circuit

[ sur-kit ]
See synonyms for: circuitcircuitedcircuiting on Thesaurus.com

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.

  1. a roundabout journey or course.

  2. 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.

  3. the persons making such a journey.

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

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

  6. the space within a bounding line; district: the circuit of the valley.

  7. Electricity.

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

    • any well-defined segment of a complete circuit.

  8. Telecommunications. a means of transmitting communication signals or messages, usually comprising two channels for interactive communication.: Compare channel1 (def. 12).

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

  10. a league or association: He used to play baseball for the Texas circuit.

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 about circuit

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

Origin of circuit

1
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; cf. ambit, exit1

Other words for circuit

Other words from circuit

  • cir·cuit·al, adjective
  • min·i·cir·cuit, noun
  • mul·ti·cir·cuit, noun
  • mul·ti·cir·cuit·ed, adjective
  • non·cir·cuit·ed, adjective
  • sub·cir·cuit, noun

Words Nearby circuit

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use circuit in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for circuit

circuit

/ (ˈsɜːkɪt) /


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

    • the area enclosed within such a route

  1. the act of following such a route: we made three circuits of the course

    • a complete path through which an electric current can flow

    • (as modifier): a circuit diagram

    • a periodical journey around an area, as made by judges, salesmen, etc

    • the route traversed or places visited on such a journey

    • the persons making such a journey

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

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

  3. 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

  4. sport

    • a series of tournaments in which the same players regularly take part: the international tennis circuit

    • the circuit the contestants who take part in such a series

  5. mainly British a motor racing track, usually of irregular shape

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

Origin of circuit

1
C14: from Latin circuitus a going around, from circumīre, from circum around + īre to go

Derived forms of circuit

  • circuital, adjective

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 circuit

circuit

[ sûrkĭt ]


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

  2. A system of electrically connected parts or devices.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.