different between elliptical vs circular

English

Etymology

elliptic +? -al, from Ancient Greek ??????????? (elleiptikós), from ??????? (elleíp?, “I leave out, omit”). Surface analysis ellipse +? -ical.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /??l?p.t?k.?l/
• (US) IPA^(key): /??l?p.t?.k?l/, /??l?p.t?.k?l/

Adjective

elliptical (comparative more elliptical, superlative most elliptical)

1. In a shape of, or reminding of, an ellipse; oval.
   • 1876, Edward Roth (translator), All Around the Moon, Chapter XIX,

     Having admitted that the projectile was describing an orbit around the moon, this orbit must necessarily be elliptical; science proves that it must be so.

2. Of, or showing ellipsis; having a word or words omitted.

   If he is sometimes elliptical and obscure, it is because he has so much to tell us. -- Edmund Wilson

3. (of speech) Concise, condensed.
   • 1903, Gilbert Keith Chesterton, Robert Browning, Chapter VI,

     Browning's dark and elliptical mode of speech, like his love of the grotesque, was simply a characteristic of his, a trick of his temperament, and had little or nothing to do with whether what he was expressing was profound or superficial.

   • early XX c., The Making of a New Yorker, by O. Henry

     He was called a tramp; but that was only an elliptical way of saying that he was a philosopher, an artist, a traveller, a naturalist and a discoverer.

4. (mathematics, rare) Elliptic.

Usage notes

• In botanical usage, elliptic(al) refers only to the general shape of the object (usually a leaf), independently of its apex or margin (and sometimes the base), so that an "elliptic leaf" may very well be pointed at both ends. A three-dimensional elliptical object is ellipsoid, while an object that is not a perfectly stretched circle is ovoid or obovoid.

Synonyms

• elliptic

Translations

Noun

elliptical (plural ellipticals)

1. (astronomy) An elliptical galaxy.
2. An elliptical trainer.

Translations

English

Etymology

From Middle English circuler, circuleer, circulere, borrowed from Old French circulier, from Late Latin circularis, from Latin circulus, diminutive of circus (“ring”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?s??k.j?.l?(?)/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?s?k.j?.l?/
• Hyphenation: cir?cu?lar

Adjective

circular (comparative more circular, superlative most circular)

1. Of or relating to a circle.
2. In the shape of, or moving in a circle.
3. Circuitous or roundabout.
4. Referring back to itself, so as to prevent computation or comprehension; infinitely recursive.

   circular reasoning

   Your dictionary defines "brave" as "courageous", and "courageous" as "brave". That's a circular definition.

   a circular formula in a spreadsheet

5. Distributed to a large number of persons.
   • 1827, Henry Hallam, The Constitutional History of England

     a proclamation of Henry III., […] doubtless circular throughout England

6. (obsolete) Perfect; complete.
   • 1632, Philip Massinger, Maid of Honour, act I, scene 2:

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

7. (archaic) Adhering to a fixed circle of legends; cyclic; hence, mean; inferior.
   • February 1, 1711, John Dennis, on the Genius and Writings of Shakespeare

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

Hyponyms

• semicircular

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Noun

circular (plural circulars)

1. Synonym of flyer: a printed advertisement, directive, or notice intended for mass circulation.
   • 1991, Stephen Fry, The Liar, p. 55:

     The pigeon-hole was also stuffed with circulars and hand-bills.

2. Short for circular letter.
3. (dated) A sleeveless cloak cut from a circular pattern.
4. A shuttle bus with a circular route.

See also

• advertisement
• booklet
• brochure
• catalogue, catalog
• flier, flyer
• handbill, hand bill
• junk mail
• leaflet
• pamphlet

Verb

circular (third-person singular simple present circulars, present participle circularing, simple past and past participle circulared)

1. To distribute circulars to or at.
2. To extend in a circular direction.

Asturian

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin circularis, from Latin circulus.

Adjective

circular (epicene, plural circulares)

1. circular

Related terms

• círculu

Verb

circular (first-person singular indicative present circulo, past participle circuláu)

1. to circle

Conjugation

Related terms

• círculu

Catalan

Pronunciation

• (Balearic) IPA^(key): /si?.ku?la/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /sir.ku?la/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /si?.ku?la?/

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Late Latin circularis, from Latin circulus.

Adjective

circular (masculine and feminine plural circulars)

1. circular

Noun

circular f (plural circulars)

1. circular

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Late Latin circulo, circulare, post-Augustan form of Latin circulor.

Verb

circular (first-person singular present circulo, past participle circulat)

1. to circulate
2. to move, to travel

Conjugation

Related terms

• cercle

Further reading

• “circular” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “circular” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “circular” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “circular” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Galician

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin circularis, from Latin circulus.

Adjective

circular m or f (plural circulares)

1. (geometry) circular

Related terms

• círculo

Portuguese

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Late Latin circul?ris (“circular round”), from Latin circulus, corresponding to círculo +? -ar.

Pronunciation

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /si?.ku.?la?/
• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /?si?.ku.?la?/

Adjective

circular m or f (plural circulares, comparable)

1. circular; round

   Synonyms: redondo, rotundo

2. running in a loop

3. (rhetoric, lexicography) circular (referring back to itself)

4. circular (distributed to a large number of people)

Noun

circular f (plural circulares)

1. circular letter (official communication distributed to interested parties)

Noun

circular m (plural circulares)

1. circular (shuttle bus that runs in a loop)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Latin circul?, circul?re (“I make round”), post-Augustan form of Latin circulor.

Pronunciation

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /si?.ku.?la?/
• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /?si?.ku.?la(?)/

Verb

circular (first-person singular present indicative circulo, past participle circulado)

1. (transitive) to circle (to place a circle around)

   Synonym: circundar

2. (intransitive) to circle (to move around an axis)

   Synonyms: girar, rodar

3. (intransitive) to circulate (to move through a circuit)

4. (intransitive) to flow freely

5. (intransitive, or transitive with por) to move about; to walk around

6. (transitive) to circulate; to disseminate; to spread

7. (intransitive) to circulate; to be disseminated; to be spread; to go around
   1. (economics) to circulate (to be valid as currency)

   2. (media) to circulate (to be published and distributed)

8. first-person singular (eu) personal infinitive of circular
9. third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) personal infinitive of circular
10. first-person singular (eu) future subjunctive of circular
11. third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) future subjunctive of circular

Conjugation

Romanian

Etymology

From French circulaire

Adjective

circular m or n (feminine singular circular?, masculine plural circulari, feminine and neuter plural circulare)

1. circular

Declension

Spanish

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Late Latin circul?ris, from Latin circulus.

Adjective

circular (plural circulares)

1. circular

Noun

circular f (plural circulares)

1. circular (advertisement)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Late Latin circul?re, present active infinitive of circul?, post-Augustan form of Latin circulor. Doublet of the inherited cerchar.

Verb

circular (first-person singular present circulo, first-person singular preterite circulé, past participle circulado)

1. to circulate
2. to go round, move around
3. to scram, clear off

Conjugation

Related terms

• círculo

References