circumference
[ser-kuhm-fer-uh ns]
- the outer boundary, especially of a circular area; perimeter: the circumference of a circle.
- the length of such a boundary: a one-mile circumference.
- the area within a bounding line: the vast circumference of his mind.
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Origin of circumference
Synonyms
See more synonyms for circumference on Thesaurus.com1. periphery, circuit.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for circumference
Contemporary Examples
The rest that extends beyond the circumference of the meat quickly melts down onto the surface of the flattop.
Pi is officially defined as the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter.
Historical Examples
Draw a diagram representing the circumference line and pitch in feet.
Flying MachinesW.J. Jackman and Thos. H. Russell
Melville is an island of more than a mile in circumference, with low, rocky shores.
Ned MyersJames Fenimore Cooper
From points near the circumference these circles or curves are very small.
Draw a few straight lines, from the centre to the circumference of a circle.
Modern Painters Volume I (of V)John Ruskin
The diameter is then multiplied by 3.1416 to obtain the circumference.
Boys' Book of Model BoatsRaymond Francis Yates
circumference
- the boundary of a specific area or geometric figure, esp of a circle
- the length of a closed geometric curve, esp of a circle. The circumference of a circle is equal to the diameter multiplied by π
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Word Origin
C14: from Old French circonference, from Latin circumferre to carry around, from circum- + ferre to bear
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
Word Origin and History for circumference
n.
late 14c., from Latin circumferentia, neuter plural of circumferens, present participle of circumferre "to lead around, take around, carry around," from circum "around" (see circum-) + ferre "to carry" (see infer). A loan-translation of Greek periphereia "periphery, the line round a circular body," literally "a carrying round" (see periphery). Related: Circumferential.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
circumference
[sər-kŭm′fər-əns]
- The boundary line of a circle.
- The boundary line of a figure, area, or object.
- The length of such a boundary. The circumference of a circle is computed by multiplying the diameter by pi.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
circumference
[(suhr-kum-fuhr-uhns)]
The measure of the distance around a circle.
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The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.