circumference
noun
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Attempts have been made to measure the circumference of the earth since the time of Aristotle. The calculation that Columbus was relying on led him to think he could reach China by sailing west more quickly than by sailing east. But that measurement had calculated the earth's circumference as about a quarter too small, and the rest is history. Columbus wasn't the only one who got it wrong; many later attempts continued to produce different measurements for the earth's circumference—even though the Greeks had calculated it correctly way back in the 3rd century B.C.
Examples of circumference in a Sentence
Sarah Garone, Health, 29 Mar. 2024
And in August 2019 a monster grapefruit broke two records and became the world’s heaviest and largest grapefruit by circumference.
—Jack Guy, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024
The Pi symbol represents the ratio between the circumference and diameter of a circle.
—Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 12 Mar. 2024
Just before totality, viewers can also spot flashes of light — known as Baily’s beads — along the circumference of the moon.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2024
In math terms, pi is the circumference (the distance around the outside of the circle) divided by the diameter (the distance edge-to-edge of a circle when measured through the center).
—Cathy Kozlowicz, Journal Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2024
If the outline of a circle is traced, unwound and then measured, the length is called its circumference.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 14 Mar. 2024
Experts suspect the star sports a ring of dust around its circumference, like the Solar System's icy Kuiper Belt.
—Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024
The reading on the MUAC tape — used to measure a child's middle-upper arm circumference — is still in the red zone.
—Unicef Usa, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'circumference.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Circumference.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/circumference. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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circumference
noun
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