circuit
an act or instance of going or moving around.
a circular journey or one beginning and ending at the same place; a round.
a roundabout journey or course.
a periodical journey from place to place, to perform certain duties, as by judges to hold court, ministers to preach, or salespeople covering a route.
the persons making such a journey.
the route followed, places visited, or district covered by such a journey.
the line going around or bounding any area or object; the distance about an area or object.
the space within a bounding line; district: the circuit of the valley.
Electricity.
Also called electric circuit. the complete path of an electric current, including the generating apparatus, intervening resistors, or capacitors.
any well-defined segment of a complete circuit.
Telecommunications. a means of transmitting communication signals or messages, usually comprising two channels for interactive communication.: Compare channel1 (def. 12).
a number of theaters, nightclubs, etc., controlled by the same owner or manager or visited in turn by the same entertainers or acting companies.
a league or association: He used to play baseball for the Texas circuit.
to go or move around; make the circuit of.
to go or move in a circuit.
Idioms about circuit
ride circuit, Law. (of a judge) to travel a judicial county or district in order to conduct judicial proceedings.
Origin of circuit
1Other words for circuit
Other words from circuit
- cir·cuit·al, adjective
- min·i·cir·cuit, noun
- mul·ti·cir·cuit, noun
- mul·ti·cir·cuit·ed, adjective
- non·cir·cuit·ed, adjective
- sub·cir·cuit, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for circuit
/ (ˈsɜːkɪt) /
a complete route or course, esp one that is curved or circular or that lies around an object
the area enclosed within such a route
the act of following such a route: we made three circuits of the course
a complete path through which an electric current can flow
(as modifier): a circuit diagram
a periodical journey around an area, as made by judges, salesmen, etc
the route traversed or places visited on such a journey
the persons making such a journey
an administrative division of the Methodist Church comprising a number of neighbouring churches
English law one of six areas into which England is divided for the administration of justice
a number of theatres, cinemas, etc, under one management or in which the same film is shown or in which a company of performers plays in turn
sport
a series of tournaments in which the same players regularly take part: the international tennis circuit
the circuit the contestants who take part in such a series
mainly British a motor racing track, usually of irregular shape
to make or travel in a circuit around (something)
Origin of circuit
1Derived forms of circuit
- circuital, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for circuit
[ sûr′kĭt ]
A closed path through which an electric current flows or may flow.♦ Circuits in which a power source is connected to two or more components (such as light bulbs, or logic gates in a computer circuit), one after the other, are called series circuits. If the circuit is broken, none of the components receives a current. Circuits in which a power source is directly connected to two or more components are called parallel circuits. If a break occurs in the circuit, only the component along whose path the break occurs stops receiving a current.
A system of electrically connected parts or devices.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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