circus

Noun

WordNet 3.0

Noun (6)

a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals“he ran away from home to join the circus”
a performance given by a traveling company of acrobats, clowns, and trained animals“the children always love to go to the circus”
a frenetic disorganized (and often comic) disturbance suggestive of a large public entertainment“it was so funny it was a circus”“the whole occasion had a carnival atmosphere”Synonyms: carnival
(antiquity) an open-air stadium for chariot races and gladiatorial games
an arena consisting of an oval or circular area enclosed by tiers of seats and usually covered by a tent“they used the elephants to help put up the circus”
a genus of haws comprising the harriersSynonyms: Circus genus Circus

Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Circus \Cir"cus\, n.; pl. Circuses. [L. circus circle, ring, circus (in sense 1). See Circle, and cf. Cirque.] [1913 Webster]

1.(Roman Antiq.) A level oblong space surrounded on three sides by seats of wood, earth, or stone, rising in tiers one above another, and divided lengthwise through the middle by a barrier around which the track or course was laid out. It was used for chariot races, games, and public shows. [1913 Webster]

Note: The Circus Maximus at Rome could contain more than 100,000 spectators. --Harpers' Latin Dict. [1913 Webster]

2.A circular inclosure for the exhibition of feats of horsemanship, acrobatic displays, etc. Also, the company of performers, with their equipage. [1913 Webster]

3.Circuit; space; inclosure. [R.] [1913 Webster]

The narrow circus of my dungeon wall.— Byron.[1913 Webster]

The Devil's Dictionary

CIRCUS, n. A place where horses, ponies and elephants are permitted to see men, women and children acting the fool.