circus

American  

[sur-kuhs] / ˈsɜr kəs /

noun

• circuses
  plural

1. a large public entertainment, typically presented in one or more very large tents or in an outdoor or indoor arena, featuring exhibitions of pageantry, feats of skill and daring, performing animals, etc., interspersed throughout with the slapstick antics of clowns.

2. a troupe of performers, especially a traveling troupe, that presents such entertainments, together with officials, other employees, and the company's performing animals, traveling wagons, tents, cages, and equipment.

3. anything resembling such public entertainments, as an event or activity that is wildly active, disordered, sensational, etc..

   That whole trial was a circus.

4. a circular arena surrounded by tiers of seats, in which public entertainments are held; arena.

5. (in ancient Rome)

   1. a large, usually oblong or oval, roofless enclosure, surrounded by tiers of seats rising one above another, for chariot races, public games, etc.

   2. an entertainment given in this Roman arena, as a chariot race or public game.

      The Caesars appeased the public with bread and circuses.

6. anything resembling the Roman circus, or arena, as a natural amphitheater or a circular range of houses.

7. flying circus.

8. British. an open circle, square, or plaza where several streets converge.

   Piccadilly Circus.

9. Obsolete. a circlet or ring.

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circus British  

/ ˈsɜːkəs /

noun

1. a travelling company of entertainers such as acrobats, clowns, trapeze artistes, and trained animals

2. a public performance given by such a company

3. an oval or circular arena, usually tented and surrounded by tiers of seats, in which such a performance is held

4. a travelling group of professional sportsmen

   a cricket circus

5. 1. an open-air stadium, usually oval or oblong, for chariot races or public games

   2. the games themselves

6. 1. an open place, usually circular, in a town, where several streets converge

   2. ( capital when part of a name )

      Piccadilly Circus

7. informal noisy or rowdy behaviour

8. informal a person or group of people whose behaviour is wild, disorganized, or (esp unintentionally) comic

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circus Idioms  

1. see three-ring circus.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• circusy
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• circuses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of circus

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin: “circular region of the sky, oval space in which games were held,” akin to (or borrowed from) Greek kírkos “ring, circle”

Explanation

A circus is a group of many different performers, often including clowns, trapeze artists, and animal trainers. When the circus comes to town, you'll see a big, striped tent being set up for the show. The ringmaster of a circus has historically been a kind of narrator, calling for the audience's attention and announcing different entertainers. Traditional circuses have performing animals, clowns, and acrobats, while more contemporary circuses combine elements of theater, dance, acrobatics, and music. You can also use circus to mean "noisy, confused activity." In Latin, the word circus means "ring," and the Romans used it to describe the arenas in which performances took place.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

circus circuses

Add orange-rimmed eyes with jet-black pupils set against white cheeks, a dashing black under-eye line and a radiant round orange bill hinge, and the puffin looks like something invented by a talented circus makeup artist.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

I'd reached "circus attraction" level and had to make a choice.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

Most of these miniatures and tone poems were inspired by Hopkins’ childhood — his parents, his hometown, the day the circus came.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

They square the circle of Swift masterminding a full-scale trolling of media and fans while simultaneously hosting a cotton-candy celebrity circus where an awkward wallflower finally, triumphantly blooms.

From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026

“I’ve seen pictures of them. It’s a circus truck.”

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

More than 50 countries around the world have now banned or restricted the use of wild animals in circuses, over concerns it causes them distress, external.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

Families popped it over wood stoves; peddlers sold it in paper cones at circuses, carnivals and busy promenades.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026

It will be bread and circuses, only with no bread.

From Salon ● Nov. 26, 2024

For the past 15 years, he’s been going on the road with circuses to preside over Mass, perform sacraments and provide pastoral care.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2024

He was looking forward to staying on the farm, learning about circuses … and Nicole.

From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith

Related Words

• festival
• spectacle