small circle

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noun

a circle on a sphere, the plane of which does not pass through the center of the sphere.Compare great circle (def. 1).

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Question 1 of 7

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of small circle

First recorded in 1870–75

Words nearby small circle

small cane, small-cap, small capital, small change, small chop, small circle, small-claims court, smallclothes, small cog in a large wheel, small craft advisory, Smallens

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use small circle in a sentence

So Lopez did what any enterprising Gen Zer does when faced with an irksome problem, the solution to which might be a boon for those well beyond her small circle.
Health Care Is Not Lost in Translation With This App|Eugene Robinson|July 20, 2021|Ozy
I don’t think there was any major caution encouraged as far as going out or as you’re traveling, like continuing to really be vigilant and stay within a small circle of people.
COVID breakthrough infections strike summer tourists visiting Provincetown|Chris Johnson|July 14, 2021|Washington Blade
These contacts are rarely shared outside a small circle, and my family is lucky enough to have three, whose exquisite bebincas have reliably made their way to my Mumbai home for the last 13 years.
How I Tried (and Failed) And Tried Again to Master the Goan Bebinca Cake|Joanna Lobo|April 1, 2021|Eater
Decisions were made between Silbermann and a small circle—all men—in private sidebars, causing organizational chaos.
Pinterest and the Subtle Poison of Sexism and Racism in Silicon Valley|Janice Min|March 22, 2021|Time

Lisa Howze said she was shown the pressure ulcer, and it was just a small circle on her mother’s bottom.
The Nursing Home Didn’t Send Her to the Hospital, and She Died|by Sean Campbell|January 8, 2021|ProPublica
The vessel, sealed and signed, was put up for auction before a small circle of artists and collectors when he returned to Beijing.
The Chinese Can’t Catch Their Breath|Brendon Hong|May 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At school and in college other students shunned me and my small circle of friends.
Pakistan’s Gay Community Quietly Breaking Barriers|Ron Moreau, Sami Yousafzai|October 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
There's a small circle that intersects, but that intersection is fairly small.
A Tale of Two Davoses|Joanne Lipman|January 26, 2012|DAILY BEAST
It is where Bernie had his small circle of friends, particularly Robert Jaffe, solicit people for his fraudulent funds.
Ruth Madoff's Private World|Lucinda Franks|April 6, 2009|DAILY BEAST
But the family, that shuts itself within its own small circle, betrays its God-appointed function.
The Life of Mazzini|Bolton King
For the reader very probably, as for most people outside a comparatively small circle, it meant my emergence from obscurity.
The New Machiavelli|Herbert George Wells
It has a small circle and a dot in the center, around which circle the arms of the Swastika are interlaced.
The Swastika|Thomas Wilson
In the center of the hub is the small circle and dot which might represent the axle on which the machine revolved.
The Swastika|Thomas Wilson
It started in a very small circle, extending thence in ever-widening ripples.
Corot|Sidney Allnutt

British Dictionary definitions for small circle

small circle

noun

a circular section of a sphere that does not contain the centre of the sphereCompare great circle

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