circumnavigate

American

[sur-kuhm-nav-i-geyt] / ˌsɜr kəmˈnæv ɪˌgeɪt /

verb (used with object)

circumnavigated, circumnavigating

to sail or fly around; make the circuit of by navigation.

to circumnavigate the earth.
to go or maneuver around.

to circumnavigate the heavy downtown traffic.

circumnavigate British

/ ˌsɜːkəmˈnævɪˌɡeɪt /

verb

(tr) to sail or fly completely around

"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

Other Word Forms

circumnavigable adjective
circumnavigation noun
circumnavigator noun
circumnavigatory adjective

Etymology

Origin of circumnavigate

1625–35; < Latin circumnāvigātus (past participle of circumnāvigāre ), equivalent to circum- circum- + nāvigātus; navigate

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023