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circus |
3 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Circus \Cir"cus\, n.; pl {Circuses}. [L. circus circle, ring, circus (in sense 1). See {Circle}, and cf {Cirque}.] 1. (Roman Antiq.) A level oblong space surrounded on three sides by seats of wood, earth, or stone, rising in tiers one above another, and divided lengthwise through the middle by a barrier around which the track or course was laid out It was used for chariot races, games, and public shows. Note: The Circus Maximus at Rome could contain more than 100,000 spectators. --Harpers' Latin Dict. 2. A circular inclosure for the exhibition of feats of horsemanship, acrobatic displays, etc Also the company of performers, with their equipage. 3. Circuit; space; inclosure. [R.] The narrow circus of my dungeon wall. --Byron. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: circus n 1: a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals; "he ran away from home to join the circus" 2: performance given by a traveling company of acrobats clowns and trained animals; "the children always love to go to the circus" 3: a frenetic disorganized (and often comic) disturbance suggestive of a circus or carnival; "it was so funny it was a circus"; "the whole occasion had a carnival atmosphere" [syn: {carnival}] 4: (ancient Rome) an open-air stadium for chariot races and gladiatorial games 5: an oval or circular area enclosed by tiers of seats and usually covered by a tent; "they used the elephants to help put up the circus" 6: a genus of haws comprising the harriers [syn: {Circus}, {genus Circus}] From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]: CIRCUS, n. A place where horses, ponies and elephants are permitted to see men, women and children acting the fool.
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