different between cercus vs circus

English

Etymology

From New Latin cercus, from Ancient Greek ?????? (kérkos, “tail”).

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -??(?)k?s

Noun

cercus (plural cerci)

1. (entomology) Structures on the end of on the end of the abdomen of most insects, sometimes long, hairlike sensory organs and sometimes smaller and rigid.

Derived terms

• procercus

Translations

Anagrams

• Cruces, cruces

English

Etymology

From Latin circus (“ring, circle”), from Proto-Indo-European *sker, *ker (“to turn, to bend”). Doublet of cirque. Displaced native Old English hringsetl (literally “ring seat”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?s??k?s/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?s?k?s/
• Rhymes: -??(?)k?s

Noun

circus (plural circuses or circusses or circi)

1. A traveling company of performers that may include acrobats, clowns, trained animals, and other novelty acts, that gives shows usually in a circular tent. [from late 18th c.]

2. A round open space in a town or city where multiple streets meet.

3. (figuratively) A spectacle; a noisy fuss; a chaotic and/or crowded place.
   • 2009, Christine Brooks, A Quiet Village (page 81)

     The village would be turned into a circus over this. He groaned, it was just the sort of case the media had a field day over. He had to get the whole thing sorted fast before anyone got wind of it.

4. (historical) In the ancient Roman Empire, a building for chariot racing.
5. (military, World War II) A code name for bomber attacks with fighter escorts in the day time. The attacks were against short-range targets with the intention of occupying enemy fighters and keeping their fighter units in the area concerned.
6. (obsolete) Circuit; space; enclosure.
   • 1817, Lord Byron, The Lament of Tasso

     The narrow circus of my dungeon wall.

Coordinate terms

• (open space): concourse

Derived terms

• bread and circuses
• let's get this circus on the road
• media circus
• three-ring circus

Related terms

• circular
• circle

Translations

Verb

circus (third-person singular simple present circuses or circusses, present participle circusing or circussing, simple past and past participle circused or circussed)

1. To take part in a circus; or to be displayed as if in a circus

References

Anagrams

• Curcis, Ruccis

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin circus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?s?r.k?s/
• Hyphenation: cir?cus

Noun

circus n (plural circussen, diminutive circusje n)

1. circus (company of performers; place where this company performs)

Derived terms

• circusartiest
• circusclown
• circusdier
• circusshow
• circustent

Descendants

• Afrikaans: sirkus
• ? Indonesian: sirkus

See also

• beestenspel

Latin

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ?????? (kírkos, “circle, ring”), related to ?????? (kríkos, “ring”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /?kir.kus/, [?k?rk?s?]
• (Vulgar) IPA^(key): /?kir.kus/, [?k?rk?s]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /?t??ir.kus/, [?t??irkus]

Noun

circus m (genitive circ?); second declension

1. a circular line or orbit; circle, ring
2. a racecourse or space where games are held, especially one that is round
3. the spectators in a circus; a circus

Declension

Second-declension noun.

Derived terms

Descendants

References

• circus in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• circus in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• circus in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
• circus in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• circus in William Smith et al., editor (1890) A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin