Circuit \Cir"cuit\, n. [F. circuit, fr. L. circuitus, fr.
   circuire or circumire to go around; circum around + ire to
   go.]
   1. The act of moving or revolving around, or as in a circle
      or orbit; a revolution; as, the periodical circuit of the
      earth round the sun. --Watts.
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   2. The circumference of, or distance round, any space; the
      measure of a line round an area.
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            The circuit or compass of Ireland is 1,800 miles.
                                                  --J. Stow.
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   3. That which encircles anything, as a ring or crown.
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            The golden circuit on my head.        --Shak.
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   4. The space inclosed within a circle, or within limits.
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            A circuit wide inclosed with goodliest trees.
                                                  --Milton.
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   5. A regular or appointed journeying from place to place in
      the exercise of one's calling, as of a judge, or a
      preacher.
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   6.
      (a) (Law) A certain division of a state or country,
          established by law for a judge or judges to visit, for
          the administration of justice. --Bouvier.
      (b) (Methodist Church) A district in which an itinerant
          preacher labors.
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   7. Circumlocution. [Obs.] "Thou hast used no circuit of
      words." --Huloet.
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   Circuit court (Law), a court which sits successively in
      different places in its circuit (see Circuit, 6). In the
      United States, the federal circuit courts are commonly
      presided over by a judge of the supreme court, or a
      special circuit judge, together with the judge of the
      district court. They have jurisdiction within statutory
      limits, both in law and equity, in matters of federal
      cognizance. Some of the individual States also have
      circuit courts, which have general statutory jurisdiction
      of the same class, in matters of State cognizance.

   Circuit of action or Circuity of action (Law), a longer
      course of proceedings than is necessary to attain the
      object in view.

   To make a circuit, to go around; to go a roundabout way.

   Voltaic circle or Galvanic circle or Voltaic circuit or
   Galvanic circuit, a continous electrical communication
      between the two poles of a battery; an arrangement of
      voltaic elements or couples with proper conductors, by
      which a continuous current of electricity is established.
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Circle \Cir"cle\ (s[~e]r"k'l), n. [OE. cercle, F. cercle, fr. L.
   circulus (Whence also AS. circul), dim. of circus circle,
   akin to Gr. kri`kos, ki`rkos, circle, ring. Cf. Circus,
   Circum-.]
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   1. A plane figure, bounded by a single curve line called its
      circumference, every part of which is equally distant from
      a point within it, called the center.
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   2. The line that bounds such a figure; a circumference; a
      ring.
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   3. (Astron.) An instrument of observation, the graduated limb
      of which consists of an entire circle.
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   Note: When it is fixed to a wall in an observatory, it is
         called a mural circle; when mounted with a telescope
         on an axis and in Y's, in the plane of the meridian, a
         meridian circle or transit circle; when involving
         the principle of reflection, like the sextant, a
         reflecting circle; and when that of repeating an
         angle several times continuously along the graduated
         limb, a repeating circle.
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   4. A round body; a sphere; an orb.
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            It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth.
                                                  --Is. xi. 22.
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   5. Compass; circuit; inclosure.
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            In the circle of this forest.         --Shak.
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   6. A company assembled, or conceived to assemble, about a
      central point of interest, or bound by a common tie; a
      class or division of society; a coterie; a set.
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            As his name gradually became known, the circle of
            his acquaintance widened.             --Macaulay.
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   7. A circular group of persons; a ring.
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   8. A series ending where it begins, and repeating itself.
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            Thus in a circle runs the peasant's pain. --Dryden.
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   9. (Logic) A form of argument in which two or more unproved
      statements are used to prove each other; inconclusive
      reasoning.
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            That heavy bodies descend by gravity; and, again,
            that gravity is a quality whereby a heavy body
            descends, is an impertinent circle and teaches
            nothing.                              --Glanvill.
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   10. Indirect form of words; circumlocution. [R.]
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             Has he given the lie,
             In circle, or oblique, or semicircle. --J.
                                                  Fletcher.
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   11. A territorial division or district.
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   Note:

   The Circles of the Holy Roman Empire, ten in number, were
      those principalities or provinces which had seats in the
      German Diet.
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   Azimuth circle. See under Azimuth.

   Circle of altitude (Astron.), a circle parallel to the
      horizon, having its pole in the zenith; an almucantar.

   Circle of curvature. See Osculating circle of a curve
      (Below).

   Circle of declination. See under Declination.

   Circle of latitude.
       (a) (Astron.) A great circle perpendicular to the plane
           of the ecliptic, passing through its poles.
       (b) (Spherical Projection) A small circle of the sphere
           whose plane is perpendicular to the axis.

   Circles of longitude, lesser circles parallel to the
      ecliptic, diminishing as they recede from it.

   Circle of perpetual apparition, at any given place, the
      boundary of that space around the elevated pole, within
      which the stars never set. Its distance from the pole is
      equal to the latitude of the place.

   Circle of perpetual occultation, at any given place, the
      boundary of the space around the depressed pole, within
      which the stars never rise.

   Circle of the sphere, a circle upon the surface of the
      sphere, called a great circle when its plane passes
      through the center of the sphere; in all other cases, a
      small circle.

   Diurnal circle. See under Diurnal.

   Dress circle, a gallery in a theater, generally the one
      containing the prominent and more expensive seats.

   Druidical circles (Eng. Antiq.), a popular name for certain
      ancient inclosures formed by rude stones circularly
      arranged, as at Stonehenge, near Salisbury.

   Family circle, a gallery in a theater, usually one
      containing inexpensive seats.

   Horary circles (Dialing), the lines on dials which show the
      hours.

   Osculating circle of a curve (Geom.), the circle which
      touches the curve at some point in the curve, and close to
      the point more nearly coincides with the curve than any
      other circle. This circle is used as a measure of the
      curvature of the curve at the point, and hence is called
      circle of curvature.

   Pitch circle. See under Pitch.

   Vertical circle, an azimuth circle.

   Voltaic circuit or Voltaic circle. See under Circuit.
      

   To square the circle. See under Square.

   Syn: Ring; circlet; compass; circuit; inclosure.
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