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circumlocution
# Cin·na·bon
/'sɪnəbɒn||-bɑːn/ trademark a type of CINNAMON ROLL sold in the US, especially at special Cinnabon shops at MALLS and airports
# cin·na·mon¹
/'sɪnəmən/ n [U] the sweet-smelling BARK (=outer covering) of a tropical Asian tree, used for giving a special taste to food; a cinnamon stick (=a stick-shaped rolled-up piece of this bark)
# cinnamon²
adj having a light yellowish-brown colour **—cinnamon** n [U]
# cinnamon 'roll
n a small round PASTRY with a sweet cinnamon taste. Cinnamon rolls are a popular food for breakfast in the US.
# Cinque Ports, the
/ˌsɪŋk 'pɔːts||-pɔːrts/ five sea ports in southeast England (Hastings, Romney, Hythe, Dover, and Sandwich) which, until 1685, had to provide ships for the British king or queen in order to protect the country from attack by sea
# Cin·za·no
/tʃɪn'zɑːnəʊ/ trademark a type of sweet Italian VERMOUTH, usually drunk with a MIXER
# ci·pher¹
, **cypher** /'saɪfəʳ/ n **1** (a system of) secret writing; CODE: *a message written in cipher* **2** a person of no importance or influence: *He's a mere cipher in the company.* **3** lit the number 0; zero **4** rare a MONOGRAM
# cipher²
v [T] to put a message into cipher $\rightarrow$ compare DECIPHER
# cir·ca
/'sɜːkə||'sɜːr-/ *written abbrev.* **c.** or **ca** prep fml (used especially with dates) in about: *He was born circa 1060 and died in 1118.*
# cir·ca·di·an
/sɜː'keɪdiən||sɜːr-/ adj [A] tech (especially of changes in the body) related to a period of about 24 hours: *studying the circadian rhythms of unborn babies | Flying from San Francisco to Rome has upset his circadian clock so he feels as if it is the middle of the night.*
# Cir·ce
/'sɜːsi||'sɜːr-/ IN CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY, a woman who did magic and who changed people into pigs, including the friends of Odysseus
# cir·cle¹
/'sɜːkəl||'sɜːr-/ n **1** (a flat round area enclosed by) a curved line on which every point is equally distant from one fixed point inside the curve **2** something having the general shape of this curve; a ring: *a circle of trees/of chairs | children standing in a circle* **3** [+sing./pl. v] also **circles** pl. — a group of people connected in an informal way by common interests: *She has a large circle of friends. | In political circles there is talk of war. | She moves in different circles (=has different groups of friends) from me.* **4** an upper floor in a theatre, usually with seats set in curved rows: *Are we going to sit in the circle or in the stalls?* $\rightarrow$ see also DRESS CIRCLE **5** a process or chain of events which finishes where it began; CYCLE: *The circle of the seasons has brought us again to spring. | We seem to be arguing in a circle/to be going round in circles.* **6** **come full circle** to go through several changes or developments and end up back at the starting point: *After several years of working in a band, he has now gone back to being a solo musician, so his career has come full circle.* **7** **square the circle** to attempt something impossible $\rightarrow$ see also CORN CIRCLE, GREAT CIRCLE, ROUNDABOUT, VICIOUS CIRCLE
# circle²
v **1** [T] to draw or form a circle around: *The teacher circled the pupils' spelling mistakes in red ink.* **2** [I;T] to move or travel in a circle (around): *The plane circled (around) the airport before landing. | a spacecraft circling the Earth | The vultures were circling overhead.*
# cir·cuit
/'sɜːkɪt||'sɜːr-/ n **1** (movement along) a curving path that forms a complete circle round an area: *We made/did the circuit of the old city walls. | She ran three circuits of the track. | the circuit of the Earth round the sun* **2** (the places on) a regularly repeated journey from place to place made by a person or group for usually professional purposes: *The judge is on circuit for most of the year. (=visits different courts) | He retired this year after over ten years on the tennis circuit. (=places visited by professional players for important games) | a well-known entertainer on the night club circuit.* $\rightarrow$ see also CIRCUIT COURT **3** the complete circular path of an electric current: *A break in the circuit had caused the lights to go out. | a circuit diagram* $\rightarrow$ see also CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISION, PRINTED CIRCUIT, SHORT CIRCUIT **4** a group of establishments offering the same films, plays etc
# circuit ,board
n [C] a set of connections between points on a piece of electrical equipment which uses a thin line of metal to CONDUCT (=carry) the electricity; PRINTED CIRCUIT
# 'circuit ,breaker
n tech a SWITCH or other apparatus which interrupts an electric current if this becomes necessary, for example for safety reasons
# 'circuit ,court
n a court that is held regularly at several places outside the country's main city, only at particular times of the year, when a judge visits it
# cir·cu·i·tous
/sə'kjuːɪtəs||sɜːr-/ adj fml going a long way round instead of in a straight line; not direct: *the river's circuitous course | a circuitous route* **—ly** adv
# cir·cu·it·ry
/'sɜːkɪtri||'sɜːr-/ n [U] a system of electrical circuits
# 'circuit ,training
n [U] BrE several different exercises done quickly after each other, in order to make you able to do sport better
# cir·cu·lar¹
/'sɜːkjʊləʳ||'sɜːr-/ adj **1** round and usually flat; shaped like a circle: *a circular table* **2** forming or moving in a circle: *a circular bus route | (fig.) a circular argument that doesn't lead anywhere*
# circular²
n a printed advertisement, paper, or notice given or sent to a large number of people for them to read: *There were only bills and circulars in the post this morning.*
# cir·cu·lar·ize
also **-ise** BrE /'sɜːkjʊləraɪz||'sɜːr-/ v [T] to send circulars to (a group of people)
# ,circular 'saw
n a SAW which cuts with sharp teeth on a round metal blade and is driven by a motor $\rightarrow$ compare CHAIN SAW
# cir·cu·late
/'sɜːkjʊleɪt||'sɜːr-/ v **1** [I;T] to (cause to) move or flow around in a closed system, always remaining within that system: *blood circulates through the body. | Money circulates in the economy.* **2** [I;T] to (cause to) spread widely; DISSEMINATE: *The news of the enemy's defeat quickly circulated round the town. | A lot of false information has been circulated. | Rumours of a military coup began to circulate.* **3** [I] to move from person to person, especially at a social gathering; MINGLE: *He circulated at the party, talking to lots of people.* **—-latory** /ˌsɜːkjʊ'leɪtəri, 'sɜːkjʊlɪtəri||'sɜːrkjʊləˌtɔːri/ adj
# 'circulating ,capital
n [U] $\rightarrow$ see FLOATING CAPITAL
# cir·cu·la·tion
/ˌsɜːkjʊ'leɪʃən||ˌsɜːr-/ n **1** [C;U] the flow of gas or liquid around a closed system, especially the movement of blood through the body: *Bad circulation makes you feel cold.* **2** [U] the movement of something, such as news or money, from place to place or from person to person: *the circulation of rumours | The government has reduced the number of £5 notes in circulation. | These ideas have been in circulation for some time. | She's out of circulation (=not taking part in social life) at the moment because she's working for her exams.* **3** [S] the average number of copies of a newspaper, magazine etc that are regularly sold: *This magazine has a large circulation / a circulation of 400,000. | Our circulation will fall if we increase the price to 45p. | a mass-circulation newspaper (=read by a large number of people)*
# circum-
$\rightarrow$ see WORD FORMATION TABLE
# cir·cum·cise
/'sɜːkəmsaɪz||'sɜːr-/ v [T] **1** to cut off the skin at the end of the sex organ (=the FORESKIN) of (a male) **2** to cut off the CLITORIS of (a female)
# cir·cum·ci·sion
/ˌsɜːkəm'sɪʒən||ˌsɜːr-/ n [C;U] the act of circumcising, especially of a baby boy, especially as part of a Jewish or Muslim religious ceremony, or because it is believed to be wise for health reasons
# cir·cum·fer·ence
/sə'kʌmfərəns||sər-/ n **1** [C;U] the length round the outside of a circle; distance round a round object: *the circumference of a wheel/of the Earth | It is 3 metres in circumference.* $\rightarrow$ see picture at DIAMETER **2** [(the)S(of)] the line round the outside edge of a figure, object, or place of any shape; PERIPHERY **—-ential** /səˌkʌmfə'renʃəl||sər-/ adj
# cir·cum·flex
/'sɜːkəmfleks||'sɜːr-/ adj [A] (of an ACCENT put above a letter to show pronunciation) being the mark over ê $\rightarrow$ compare ACUTE, GRAVE
# cir·cum·lo·cu·tion
/ˌsɜːkəmlə'kjuːʃən||ˌsɜːr-/ n [C;U] fml (an example of) the use of an unnecessarily large number of