Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Circuit \Cir"cuit\, n. [F. circuit, fr. L. circuitus, fr.
circuire or circumire to go around; circum around + ire to
go.]
1. The act of moving or revolving around, or as in a circle
or orbit; a revolution; as, the periodical circuit of the
earth round the sun. --Watts.
2. The circumference of, or distance round, any space; the
measure of a line round an area.
The circuit or compass of Ireland is 1,800 miles.
--J. Stow.
3. That which encircles anything, as a ring or crown.
The golden circuit on my head. --Shak.
4. The space inclosed within a circle, or within limits.
A circuit wide inclosed with goodliest trees.
--Milton.
5. A regular or appointed journeying from place to place in
the exercise of one's calling, as of a judge, or a
preacher.
6.
(a) (Law) A certain division of a state or country,
established by law for a judge or judges to visit, for
the administration of justice. --Bouvier.
(b) (Methodist Church) A district in which an itinerant
preacher labors.
7. Circumlocution. [Obs.] ``Thou hast used no circuit of
words.'' --Huloet.
{Circuit court} (Law), a court which sits successively in
different places in its circuit (see {Circuit}, 6). In the
United States, the federal circuit courts are commonly
presided over by a judge of the supreme court, or a
special circuit judge, together with the judge of the
district court. They have jurisdiction within statutory
limits, both in law and equity, in matters of federal
cognizance. Some of the individual States also have
circuit courts, which have general statutory jurisdiction
of the same class, in matters of State cognizance.
{Circuit or Circuity} {of action} (Law), a longer course of
proceedings than is necessary to attain the object in
view.
{To make a circuit}, to go around; to go a roundabout way.
{Voltaic or Galvanic} {circuit or circle}, a continous
electrical communication between the two poles of a
battery; an arrangement of voltaic elements or couples
with proper conductors, by which a continuous current of
electricity is established.
Circuit \Cir"cuit\, v. i.
To move in a circle; to go round; to circulate. [Obs.] --J.
Philips.
Circuit \Cir"cuit\, v. t.
To travel around. [Obs.] ``Having circuited the air.'' --T.
Warton.
Source : WordNet®
circuit
n 1: an electrical device that provides a path for electrical
current to flow [syn: {electrical circuit}, {electric
circuit}]
2: a journey or route all the way around a particular place or
area; "they took an extended tour of Europe"; "we took a
quick circuit of the park"; "a ten-day coach circuit of
the island" [syn: {tour}]
3: an established itinerary of venues or events that a
particular group of people travel to; "she's a familiar
name on the club circuit"; "on the lecture circuit"; "the
judge makes a circuit of the courts in his district"; "the
international tennis circuit"
4: (law) a judicial division of a state or the United States
(so-called because originally judges traveled and held
court in different locations); one of the twelve groups of
states in the United States that is covered by a
particular circuit court of appeals
5: a racetrack for automobile races [syn: {racing circuit}]
6: movement once around a course; "he drove an extra lap just
for insurance" [syn: {lap}, {circle}]
circuit
v : make a circuit; "They were circuiting about the state"
Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing
circuit
1. A communications path in a {circuit
switching} network.
2. A complete path through which an electric
current can flow.
The term is used loosely for any device or subsystem using
electrical or electronic components. E.g. "That lightning
bolt fried the circuits in my GPS receiver". An {integrated
circuit} (IC) contains components built on a Silicon {die}.
(2002-07-15)