WordWeb Online

1. A travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals
   "he ran away from home to join the circus"
    
2. A performance given by a travelling 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 large public entertainment
   "it was so funny it was a circus";
   - 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"

1. A genus of haws comprising the harriers
   - genus Circus

Derived forms: circuses

Type of: arena, bird genus, bowl, company, disturbance, scene of action, show, sports stadium, stadium, troupe

Part of: Accipitridae, family Accipitridae

Encyclopedia: Circus, Circus