[W/K] :: Circus

  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]

  circus
       n 1: a travelling company of entertainers; including trained
            animals; "he ran away from home to join the circus"
       2: performance given by a traveling company of acrobats clowns
          and trained animals; "the children always love to go to
          the circus"
       3: a frenetic disorganized (and often comic) disturbance
          suggestive of a circus or carnival; "it was so funny it
          was a circus"; "the whole occasion had a carnival
          atmosphere" [syn: carnival]
       4: (antiquity) an open-air stadium for chariot races and
          gladiatorial games
       5: 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"
       6: a genus of haws comprising the harriers [syn: genus Circus]

  149 Moby Thesaurus words for "circus":
     Broadway, O, agora, amphitheater, annular muscle, annulus, arena,
     areola, athletic field, auditorium, aureole, background,
     bear garden, bowl, boxing ring, bull ring, burlesque,
     burlesque show, campus, canvas, carnival, chaplet, circle, circuit,
     circumference, closed circle, cockpit, coliseum, colosseum,
     coochie show, corona, coronet, course, crescent, crown, cycle,
     diadem, discus, disk, drama, entertainment industry,
     eternal return, fairy ring, fantoccini, field, floor, floor show,
     forum, galanty show, garland, girly show, glory, ground, gym,
     gymnasium, hall, halo, hippodrome, hootchy-kootchy show, lasso,
     leg show, legit, legitimate stage, light show, lists, locale,
     logical circle, loop, looplet, magic circle, magic show,
     marketplace, mat, milieu, noose, off Broadway, off-off-Broadway,
     ombres chinoises, open forum, orbit, palaestra, parade ground,
     peep show, pit, place, platform, playland, precinct, prize ring,
     public square, puppet show, purlieu, radius, range, raree-show,
     rep show, repertory drama, repertory show, ring, rodeo, rondelle,
     round, roundel, saucer, scene, scene of action, scenery, setting,
     shadow show, show biz, show business, sideshow, site, sphere,
     sphincter, squared circle, stadium, stage, stage set,
     stage setting, stage world, stagedom, stageland, stock, strawhat,
     strawhat circuit, summer stock, terrain, the big top, the boards,
     the footlights, the scenes, the stage, the theater, theater,
     theater world, theatromania, theatrophobia, tilting ground,
     tiltyard, variety, variety show, vaudeville, vaudeville show,
     vicious circle, walk, wheel, wreath, wrestling ring
  
  

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