The AI-powered English dictionary
plural circuses or (rare) circusses or (rare) circi
A traveling company of performers that may include acrobats, clowns, trained animals, and other novelty acts, that gives shows usually in a circular tent. examples
A round open space in a town or city where multiple streets meet. examples
(figurative) A spectacle; a noisy fuss; a chaotic and/or crowded place. quotations examples
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.
2009, Christine Brooks, A Quiet Village, page 81
(historical) In the ancient Roman Empire, a building for chariot racing.
(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.
(obsolete) Circuit; space; enclosure. quotations
The narrow circus of my dungeon wall.
1817, Lord Byron, The Lament of Tasso
third-person singular simple present circuses or circusses, present participle circusing or circussing, simple past and past participle circused or circussed
To take part in a circus; or to be displayed as if in a circus examples