arc

plural arcs

1. astronomyThat part of a circle which a heavenly body appears to pass through as it moves above and below the horizon.First known use 14th c.
2. geometryA continuous part of the circumference of a circle (circular arc) or of another curve.First known use 16th c.

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

   1914, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados

3. A curve, in general.First known use 17th c.

   an arc of pupils around their teacher.

   1 more example

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

   Synonyms: curve, swoop

4. A band contained within parallel curves, or something of that shape.First known use 17th c.
5. electricsA flow of current across an insulating medium; especially a hot, luminous discharge either between two electrodes or as lightning.First known use 19th c.
6. abbreviationellipsishuman sciencesEllipsis of story arc.First known use 20th c.

   For while most comics have designated entry points into the story in the form of arcs, Homestuck is one elaborate, self-referencing inside joke collapsed inside its own funhouse mirror reflection.

   2015 February 24, Lilian Min, “How the Internet Invented a New Kind of Storytelling”, in The Atlantic, archived from the original on 29 Apr 2015

   1. Internetbroadlyhuman sciencesA period or phase in a person's life.

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

      1 more example

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

7. mathematicsA continuous mapping from a real interval (typically [0, 1]) into a space.
8. graph theoryA directed edge.

   Synonyms: arrow, directed edge

9. slangball gamesThe three-point line.
10. broadcastingAn arclight.

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

    2012, Kris Malkiewicz, Film Lighting

present singular third person arcs · participle present arcing · participle present rare arcking · participle past arced · past arced · participle past rare arcked · past rare arcked

1. ambitransitiveTo move following a curved path.

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

   2024, Patricia Taxxon, “Big Wheel”, in Bicycle

   2 more 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.

   2008, T. R. Elmore, Blood Ties Series, Volume 1, Tainted, Book 1, page 106

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

   2011 February 4, Gareth Roberts, “Wales 19-26 England”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 26 Nov 2020

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

   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.

   1953, James Baldwin, Go Tell It on the Mountain, New York, N.Y.: Knopf, →OCLC, part 1 (The Seventh Day)

3. intransitiveTo form an electrical arc.

plural ARCs

1. abbreviationacronymcountableuncountablemediaAcronym of advance reader's copy, a copy of a book given to a reviewer free in advance for review purposes.

   “One of them came up to me in a signing line and asked for a blurb,” says Jen. “Can you believe it? Title I’ve never heard of, from some small press I’ve never heard of, and she comes up to me with a bound ARC, beaming, like of course I’m going to say yes.”

   2023, R. F. Kuang, Yellowface, The Borough Press, page 90

2. abbreviationcountableinitialismuncountablemedicineInitialism of AIDS-related complex.
3. abbreviationacronymuncountablecomputingAcronym of automatic reference counting.

1. abbreviationinitialismInitialism of American Red Cross.

1. governmentThe Colombian Navy (Armada de la República de Colombia).

1. initialismnot comparablegovernmentA ship's prefix for warships of the navy of Colombia.

1. historicalA suggested location where the historical figure Joan of Arc, or her father, were from.