Webster
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Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Circular

Cir′cu·lar (·lẽr), a. [L. circularis, fr. circulus circle: cf. F. circulaire. See Circle.]

1. In the form of, or bounded by, a circle; round.

2. repeating itself; ending in itself; reverting to the point of beginning; hence, illogical; inconclusive; as, circular reasoning.

3. Adhering to a fixed circle of legends; cyclic; hence, mean; inferior. See Cyclic poets, under Cyclic.

Had Virgil been a circular poet, and closely adhered to history, how could the Romans have had Dido? Dennis.

4. Addressed to a circle, or to a number of persons having a common interest; circulated, or intended for circulation; as, a circular letter.

A proclamation of Henry III., . . . doubtless circular throughout England. Hallam.

5. Perfect; complete. [Obs.]

A man so absolute and circular In all those wished-for rarities that may take A virgin captive. Massinger.

Circular are, any portion of the circumference of a circle. — Circular cubics (Math.), curves of the third order which are imagined to pass through the two circular points at infinity. — Circular functions. (Math.) See under Function. — Circular instruments, mathematical instruments employed for measuring angles, in which the graduation extends round the whole circumference of a circle, or 360°. — Circular lines, straight lines pertaining to the circle, as sines, tangents, secants, etc. — Circular note or letter. (a) (Com.) See under Credit. (b) (Diplomacy) A letter addressed in identical terms to a number of persons. — Circular numbers (Arith.), those whose powers terminate in the same digits as the roots themselves; as 5 and 6, whose squares are 25 and 36. Bailey. Barlow. — Circular points at infinity (Geom.), two imaginary points at infinite distance through which every circle in the plane is, in the theory of curves, imagined to pass. — Circular polarization. (Min.) See under Polarization. — Circular or Globular sailing (Naut.), the method of sailing by the arc of a great circle. — Circular saw. See under Saw.

Cir′cu·lar, n. [Cf. (for sense 1) F. circulaire, lettre circulaire. See Circular, a.]

1. A circular letter, or paper, usually printed, copies of which are addressed or given to various persons; as, a business circular.

2. A sleeveless cloak, cut in circular form.

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Noah Porter, editor (Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913). Public domain. Text as transcribed by MICRA, Inc., from Project Gutenberg. Changed for Deep Dive Bible: Greek, which our source spelled in Latin letters, set in Greek letters; entries of one spelling merged into one article; Greek words our source left out (shown as “?”), read from the 1898 printing, from the same plates (the Library of Congress’s copy), where the place could be found with certainty. Of the others, 1,362 (a word or a single letter each) were inferred by AI from the context by the dictionary’s own rules and are marked with a wavy underline (tap or point at one to see the note); the rest, which could not be inferred with confidence, are left as “?”.