CIRCUITY
Cir*cu"i*ty, n.
Defn: A going round in a circle; a course not direct; a roundabout way of proceeding.
CIRCULABLE
Cir"cu*la*ble, a.
Defn: That may be circulated.
CIRCULAR Cir"cu*lar, a. Etym: [L. circularis, fr. circulus circle: cf. F. circulaire. See Circle.]
1. In the form of, or bounded by, a circle; round.
2. repeating itself; ending in itself; reverting to the point of beginning; hence, illogical; inconclusive; as, circular reasoning.
3. Adhering to a fixed circle of legends; cyclic; hence, mean; inferior. See Cyclic poets, under Cyclic. Had Virgil been a circular poet, and closely adhered to history, how could the Romans have had Dido Dennis.
4. Addressed to a circle, or to a number of persons having a common interest; circulated, or intended for circulation; as, a circular letter. A proclamation of Henry III., . . . doubtless circular throughout England. Hallam.
5. Perfect; complete. [Obs.] A man so absolute and circular In all those wished-for rarities that may take A virgin captive. Massinger. Circular are, any portion of the circumference of a circle. — Circular cubics (Math.), curves of the third order which are imagined to pass through the two circular points at infinity. — Circular functions. (Math.) See under Function. — Circular instruments, mathematical instruments employed for measuring angles, in which the graduation extends round the whole circumference of a circle, or 360º. — Circular lines, straight lines pertaining to the circle, as sines, tangents, secants, etc. — Circular note or letter. (a) (Com.) See under Credit. (b) (Diplomacy) A letter addressed in identical terms to a number of persons. — Circular numbers (Arith.), those whose powers terminate in the same digits as the roots themselves; as 5 and 6, whose squares are 25 and 36. Bailey. Barlow. — Circular points at infinity (Geom.), two imaginary points at infinite distance through which every circle in the plane is, in the theory of curves, imagined to pass. — Circular polarization. (Min.) See under Polarization. — Circular or Globular sailing (Naut.), the method of sailing by the arc of a great circle. — Circular saw. See under Saw.