semicircle

S1E1M3I1C3I1R1C3L1E1

noun

A half of a circle.

Similar
graphometerpenalty arcthe Dhemicycle
OriginEnglish circle ← Middle English circle ← Old French cercle →
UncommonScrabble 16
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Meanings

nounsemicircle (plural semicircles)

plural semicircles

  1. A half of a circle.
  2. A surveyor's instrument for measuring angles; a graphometer.

    Synonyms: graphometer

  3. ball gamesAn arc whose center is the penalty spot, extending from the top of the penalty area.

    Synonyms: penalty arc, the D

verbsemicircle (third-person singular simple present semicircles, present participle semicircling, simple past and past participle semicircled)

present singular third person semicircles · participle present semicircling · participle past semicircled · past semicircled

  1. ambitransitiveTo travel or move around in a semicircle.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA surveyor's instrument for measuring angles; a graphometer.

Similar
graphometer

nounAn arc whose center is the penalty spot, extending from the top of the penalty area.

Similar
penalty arcthe D

More synonyms by meaning

nouna plane figure with the shape of half a circle

Similar
hemicycle
Broader
plane figuretwo-dimensional figure
Also see
graphometerhemicirclehemicycleprotractor

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*sem-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*sēmi
  3. Latinsēmi-
  4. Englishsemi-
  5. Ancient Greekκίρκος (kírkos)
  6. Latincircus
  7. Latincirculus
  8. Old Frenchcercle
  9. Middle Englishcircle
  10. Englishcircle
  11. Englishsemicircle

From semi- + circle.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek ἡμικύκλιον
  • ἡμικύκλιον (hēmikúklion)half of a circle
Bengali অর্ধবৃত্ত
  • অর্ধবৃত্ত (ordhobritto)half of a circle
Bulgarian полукръг
  • полукръг (polukrăg)half of a circle
Catalan semicercle
  • semicerclehalf of a circle
Chinese Mandarin 半圓 /半圆
  • 半圓 /半圆 (bànyuán)half of a circle
Czech půlkruh
  • půlkruhhalf of a circle
Estonian poolring
  • poolringhalf of a circle
Finnish puoliympyrä
  • puoliympyrähalf of a circle
French demi-cercle
  • demi-cerclehalf of a circle
German Halbkreis
  • Halbkreishalf of a circle
Greek ημικύκλιο
  • ημικύκλιο (imikýklio)half of a circle
Hebrew חֲצִי עִגּוּל
  • חֲצִי עִגּוּל (khatsí igúl)half of a circle
Hungarian félkör
  • félkörhalf of a circle
Italian semicerchio
  • semicerchiohalf of a circle
Japanese 半円
  • 半円 (han'en)half of a circle
Korean 반원
  • 반원 (banwon)half of a circle
Latin sēmicirculus, hēmicyclium
  • sēmicirculushalf of a circle
  • hēmicycliumhalf of a circle
Norwegian Bokmål halvsirkel
  • halvsirkelhalf of a circle
Persian نیمدایره, نیمگرد
  • نیمدایره (nimdâyere)half of a circle
  • نیمگرد (nimgerd)half of a circle
Polish półkole, półokrąg
  • półkolehalf of a circle
  • półokrąghalf of a circle
Portuguese semicírculo
  • semicírculohalf of a circle
Romanian semicerc
  • semicerchalf of a circle
Russian полукру́г
  • полукру́г (polukrúg)half of a circle
Spanish semicírculo
  • semicírculohalf of a circle
Swedish halvcirkel
  • halvcirkelhalf of a circle
Tagalog hatimbilog, balinugnog
  • hatimbiloghalf of a circle
  • balinugnoghalf of a circle
Thai ครึ่งวงกลม
  • ครึ่งวงกลม (krʉ̂ng-wong-glom)half of a circle
Ukrainian півко́ло
  • півко́ло (pivkólo)half of a circle
Welsh hanner cylch
  • hanner cylchhalf of a circle
Cite this entry
APA

semicircle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/semicircle

MLA

“semicircle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/semicircle. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “semicircle,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/semicircle.

Source: semicircle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.