cirque

noun

1
archaic : circus
2
3
: a deep steep-walled basin on a mountain usually forming the blunt end of a valley

Illustration of cirque

Illustration of cirque
  • cirque 3

Examples of cirque in a Sentence

the harvest moon was a glowing cirque in autumn sky
Recent Examples on the Web This cirque show combines acrobatic performance with the art of clowning while exploring fear, identity, recognition and power. Brittany Delay, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2024 Rainbow Basin: The Rainbow Basin Trail is 8 miles round trip with a steep elevation gain early on, followed by a dramatic descent into a glacial cirque dotted with shallow alpine lakes. Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024 They are born of rocks that fall from the walls of a cirque. Ned Rozell | Alaska Science, Anchorage Daily News, 29 July 2023 Rock glaciers are born of rocks that fall from the walls of a cirque — a bowl high in the mountains. Ned Rozell | Alaska Science, Anchorage Daily News, 22 July 2023 Thrill seekers can try heli-skiing, where they'll be dropped from a helicopter to explore more than 200 square miles of high alpine basins, cirques, and summits. Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 16 June 2023 Aerialists, circus artistry and of course the famous cirque clowns. Chicago Tribune Staff, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2023 Less exhilarating but equally sublime is Chimney Pond, tucked into a cirque on the mountain’s north side, near a cluster of coveted backcountry lean-tos. Brian Kevin, Outside Online, 18 June 2020 Beginning at the Kelvin Bridge, several hours’ worth of precipitous singletrack bob and spike like an EKG chart above the Gila River before the trail turns north, climbing a dirt path into a cirque of golden granite needles and towers. The Editors, Outside Online, 7 Dec. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cirque.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, from Latin circus

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cirque was in 1601

Dictionary Entries Near cirque

Cite this Entry

“Cirque.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cirque. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cirque

noun
: a deep basin on a mountain that is shaped like half a bowl
Etymology

French, from Latin circus "circle, arena"

More from Merriam-Webster on cirque

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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