cirque

[ surk ]

/ sɜrk /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for cirque on Thesaurus.com

noun

circle; ring.

a bowl-shaped, steep-walled mountain basin carved by glaciation, often containing a small, round lake.

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of cirque

1595–1605; <French <Latin circus;see circus

Words nearby cirque

Cirebon, Cirenaica, Cirencester, cire perdue, cirio, cirque, cirrate, cirrhogenous, cirrhosis, cirrhus, cirri

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use cirque in a sentence

Situated along the main scenic drive in Great Basin National Park, this viewpoint gazes out at a craggy alpine cirque, ancient bristlecone forests, and, of course, the summit proper.
The Best View in Every State|awise|January 10, 2022|Outside Online
Craning his neck, Gow noticed the creek flowed out of a high whitewashed cirque with enormous skiing possibility.
How One Man Survived a Plane Crash and 5 Days in the Snowy Canadian Wilderness—and Went On to Help Shape the Modern Ski Industry|Cassidy Randall|December 27, 2020|Time
But no matter where her career has taken her, or how big the Cirque has become, Vial keeps coming back.
A Backstage Love Affair With Cirque du Soleil|Allison McNearney|December 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Twenty-eight years ago, Veronique Vial was asked to photograph Cirque du Soleil.
A Backstage Love Affair With Cirque du Soleil|Allison McNearney|December 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST

When Vial got that first assignment, she was just beginning her photography career, and Cirque du Soleil was only a few years old.
A Backstage Love Affair With Cirque du Soleil|Allison McNearney|December 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The pride and admiration Vial has for the artists who put on Cirque du Soleil is evident.
A Backstage Love Affair With Cirque du Soleil|Allison McNearney|December 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Cirque du Soleil obviously sprang to startling success with a variety of shows since its 1987 founding.
We’re All Carnies Now: Why We Can’t Quit the Circus|Anthony Paletta|November 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Most of its mass is derived directly from the low hanging snow clouds, or is blown into the cirque by eddying winds.
Mount Rainier|Various
What especially distinguishes the Puyallup Glacier from its neighbors to the north is the great elevation of its cirque.
Mount Rainier|Various
The cirque is small and shallow, not as capacious even as either of the twin recesses in the Carbon Glacier's amphitheater.
Mount Rainier|Various
A huge cirque extending up toward Liberty Cap on the western side of the mountain.
Mount Rainier|Various
I will give you my opinion,” he uttered, “after I have investigated matters in the Rue du Cirque.
Other People's Money|Emile Gaboriau

British Dictionary definitions for cirque

cirque

/ (sɜːk) /

noun

Also called: corrie, cwm a semicircular or crescent-shaped basin with steep sides and a gently sloping floor formed in mountainous regions by the erosive action of a glacier

archaeol an obsolete term for circle (def. 11)

poetic a circle, circlet, or ring

Word Origin for cirque

C17: from French, from Latin circus ring, circle, circus

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 cirque

cirque

[ sûrk ]

A steep, amphitheatre-shaped hollow occurring at the upper end of a mountain valley, especially one forming the head of a glacier or stream. Cirques are formed by the erosive activity of glaciers and often contain a small lake.

cirque

Origin of cirque

Words nearby cirque

Words related to cirque

How to use cirque in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cirque

Word Origin for cirque

Scientific definitions for cirque