'Circus' definitions:
Definition of 'circus'
From: WordNet
noun
A travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals; "he ran away from home to join the circus"
noun
A performance given by a traveling company of acrobats, clowns, and trained animals; "the children always love to go to the circus"
noun
A frenetic disorganized (and often comic) disturbance suggestive of a large public entertainment; "it was so funny it was a circus"; "the whole occasion had a carnival atmosphere" [syn: circus, carnival]
noun
(antiquity) an open-air stadium for chariot races and gladiatorial games
noun
An arena consisting of 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"
noun
A genus of haws comprising the harriers [syn: Circus, genus Circus]
Definition of 'Circus'
From: GCIDE
- Circus \Cir"cus\, n.; pl. Circuses. [L. circus circle, ring, circus (in sense 1). See Circle, and cf. Cirque.] [1913 Webster]
- 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. [1913 Webster]
- Note: The Circus Maximus at Rome could contain more than 100,000 spectators. --Harpers' Latin Dict. [1913 Webster]
- 2. A circular inclosure for the exhibition of feats of horsemanship, acrobatic displays, etc. Also, the company of performers, with their equipage. [1913 Webster]
- 3. Circuit; space; inclosure. [R.] [1913 Webster]
- The narrow circus of my dungeon wall. --Byron. [1913 Webster]
Synonyms of 'circus'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- agora,
- amphitheater,
- annular muscle,
- annulus,
- arena,
- areola,
- athletic field,
- auditorium,
- aureole,
- background,
- bear garden,
- bowl,
- boxing ring,
- Broadway,
- bull ring,
- burlesque,
- burlesque show,
- campus,
- canvas,
- carnival,
- chaplet,
- circle,
- circuit,
- circumference,
- closed circle,
- cockpit,
- coliseum,
- colosseum,
- coochie show,
- corona,
- coronet,
- course,
- crescent,
- crown,
- cycle,
- diadem,
- discus,
- disk,
- drama,
- entertainment industry,
- eternal return,
- fairy ring,
- fantoccini,
- field,
- floor,
- floor show,
- forum,
- galanty show,
- garland,
- girly show,
- glory,
- ground,
- gym,
- gymnasium,
- hall,
- halo,
- hippodrome,
- hootchy-kootchy show,
- lasso,
- leg show,
- legit,
- legitimate stage,
- light show,
- lists,
- locale,
- logical circle,
- loop,
- looplet,
- magic circle,
- magic show,
- marketplace,
- mat,
- milieu,
- noose,
- O,
- off Broadway,
- off-off-Broadway,
- ombres chinoises,
- open forum,
- orbit,
- palaestra,
- parade ground,
- peep show,
- pit,
- place,
- platform,
- playland,
- precinct,
- prize ring,
- public square,
- puppet show,
- purlieu,
- radius,
- range,
- raree-show,
- rep show,
- repertory drama,
- repertory show,
- ring,
- rodeo,
- rondelle,
- round,
- roundel,
- saucer,
- scene,
- scene of action,
- scenery,
- setting,
- shadow show,
- show biz,
- show business,
- sideshow,
- site,
- sphere,
- sphincter,
- squared circle,
- stadium,
- stage,
- stage set,
- stage setting,
- stage world,
- stagedom,
- stageland,
- stock,
- strawhat,
- strawhat circuit,
- summer stock,
- terrain,
- the big top,
- the boards,
- the footlights,
- the scenes,
- the stage,
- the theater,
- theater,
- theater world,
- theatromania,
- theatrophobia,
- tilting ground,
- tiltyard,
- variety,
- variety show,
- vaudeville,
- vaudeville show,
- vicious circle,
- walk,
- wheel,
- wreath,
- wrestling ring