arc — English Dictionary

Noun

1. That part of a circle which a heavenly body appears to pass through as it moves above and below the horizon.

2. A continuous part of the circumference of a circle (circular arc) or of another curve.

   Examples

   The arc of a circle may be very little, but, given that, it is possible to construct the entire figure.

3. A curve, in general.

   Examples

   Swing it from side to side in a high arc overhead.

   an arc of pupils around their teacher.

4. A band contained within parallel curves, or something of that shape.

5. A flow of current across an insulating medium; especially a hot, luminous discharge either between two electrodes or as lightning.

6. Ellipsis of story arc. A period or phase in a person's life.

   Usage

   • Internet
   • broadly

   Examples

   I'm hitting the gym three times a week or more at the moment. I'm in my gym bro arc.

   I miss my drawing arc. I feel like I was much more creative back then.

7. A continuous mapping from a real interval (typically [0, 1]) into a space.

8. A directed edge.

9. The three-point line.

   Usage

   • Slang

10. An arclight.

    Examples

    For all practical purposes the old carbon arcs, which were the backbone of film lighting, are no longer used.

Verb

1. To move following a curved path.

   Usage

   • Transitive or intransitive

   Examples

   A warring bloodhunter detected it and skillfully arced his sword through its spinal column before it could return to follow through with its attack.

   Gatland's side got back to within striking distance when fly-half Jones's clever pass sent centre Jonathan Davies arcing round Shontayne Hape.

   More examples (1)

   The big wheel in the sky He arcs o'er miles and miles

2. To shape into an arc; to hold in the form of an arc.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   His mother, her eyes raised to heaven, hands arked before her, moving, made real for John that patience, that endurance, that long suffering, which he had read in the Bible and found so hard to image.

3. To form an electrical arc.

   Usage

   • Intransitive

Noun

1. electrical conduction through a gas in an applied electric field

   Synonyms

   dischargesparkelectric arcelectric discharge

   Broader terms

   electrical conduction

2. a continuous portion of a circle

   Broader terms

   curvecurved shape

3. something curved in shape

   Synonyms

   bow

   Broader terms

   curvecurved shape

Verb

1. form an arch or curve

   Synonyms

   archcurve

   Broader terms

   bendflex

   Examples

   her back arches

   her hips curve nicely