Adjacent Words

Circulate definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CIRCULATE, v.i.
1. To move in a circle; to move or pass round; to move round and return to the same point; as, the blood circulates in the body.
2. To pass from place to place, from person to person, or from hand to hand; to be diffused; as, money circulates in the country; a story circulates in town.
3. To move round; to run; to flow in veins or channels, or in an inclosed place; as, the sap of plants circulates; water circulates in the earth, or air in a city or house.
CIRCULATE, v.t. To cause to pass from place to place, or from person to person; to put about; to spread; as, to circulate a report; to circulate bills of credit.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: become widely known and passed on; "the rumor spread"; "the story went around in the office" [syn: go around, spread, circulate]
2: cause to become widely known; "spread information"; "circulate a rumor"; "broadcast the news" [syn: circulate, circularize, circularise, distribute, disseminate, propagate, broadcast, spread, diffuse, disperse, pass around]
3: cause be distributed; "This letter is being circulated among the faculty" [syn: circulate, pass around, pass on, distribute]
4: move through a space, circuit or system, returning to the starting point; "Blood circulates in my veins"; "The air here does not circulate"
5: move in circles [syn: circle, circulate]
6: cause to move in a circuit or system; "The fan circulates the air in the room"
7: move around freely; "She circulates among royalty"
8: cause to move around; "circulate a rumor" [syn: mobilize, mobilise, circulate]

Merriam Webster's

verb (-lated; -lating) Etymology: Latin circulatus, past participle of circulare, from circulus Date: 1603 intransitive verb 1. to move in a circle, circuit, or orbit; especially to follow a course that returns to the starting point <blood circulates through the body> 2. to pass from person to person or place to place: as a. to flow without obstruction b. to become well-known or widespread <rumors circulated through the town> c. to go from group to group at a social gathering d. to come into the hands of readers; specifically to become sold or distributed transitive verb to cause to circulate • circulatable adjective • circulative adjective • circulator noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. 1 intr. go round from one place or person etc. to the next and so on; be in circulation. 2 tr. a cause to go round; put into circulation. b give currency to (a report etc.). c circularize. 3 intr. be actively sociable at a party, gathering, etc. Phrases and idioms: circulating library a small library with books lent to a group of subscribers in turn. circulating medium notes or gold etc. used in exchange. Derivatives: circulative adj. circulator n. Etymology: L circulare circulat- f. circulus CIRCLE

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Circulate Cir"cu*late, v. t. To cause to pass from place to place, or from person to person; to spread; as, to circulate a report; to circulate bills of credit. Circulating pump. See under Pump. Syn: To spread; diffuse; propagate; disseminate.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Circulate Cir"cu*late, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Ciorculated; P. pr. & vb. n. Circulating.] [L. circulatus, p. p. of circulare, v. t., to surround, make round, circulari, v. i., to gather into a circle. See Circle.] 1. To move in a circle or circuitously; to move round and return to the same point; as, the blood circulates in the body. --Boyle. 2. To pass from place to place, from person to person, or from hand to hand; to be diffused; as, money circulates; a story circulates.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(circulates, circulating, circulated) 1. If a piece of writing circulates or is circulated, copies of it are passed round among a group of people. The document was previously circulated in New York at the United Nations... Public employees, teachers and liberals are circulating a petition for his recall... This year anonymous leaflets have been circulating in Peking. VERB: be V-ed, V n, V • circulation ...an inquiry into the circulation of 'unacceptable literature'. N-UNCOUNT: usu the N of n 2. If something such as a rumour circulates or is circulated, the people in a place tell it to each other. Rumours were already beginning to circulate that the project might have to be abandoned... I deeply resented those sort of rumours being circulated at a time of deeply personal grief. = spread VERB: V, be V-ed, also V n 3. When something circulates, it moves easily and freely within a closed place or system. ...a virus which circulates via the bloodstream and causes ill health in a variety of organs... Cooking odors can circulate throughout the entire house. VERB: V, V, also V prep • circulation The north pole is warmer than the south and the circulation of air around it is less well contained. ...the principle of free circulation of goods. 4. If you circulate at a party, you move among the guests and talk to different people. Let me get you something to drink, then I must circulate. VERB: V

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. n. 1. Move round, move in a circle. 2. Spread, be diffused, have currency. II. v. a. Spread, diffuse, disseminate, promulgate, propagate, give currency to, spread abroad.

Moby Thesaurus

advertise, air, announce, become public, break, bring out, broadcast, bruit about, buzz about, circle, circuit, circuiteer, circumambulate, circummigrate, circumnavigate, circumrotate, circumvent, circumvolute, close the circle, come across with, come forth, come full circle, come out, compass, course, crank, cycle, deliver, deliver over, demonetize, describe a circle, devaluate, devalue, disseminate, distribute, divulge, encircle, encompass, find vent, flank, flow, fly about, fork over, forward, get about, get abroad, get afloat, get around, get exposure, girdle, girdle the globe, give in, give out, give over, go about, go around, go forth, go round, go the round, go the rounds, gyrate, gyre, hand, hand in, hand out, hand over, have currency, issue, lap, make a circuit, make known, noise abroad, orbit, pass, pass out, pass over, pirouette, pivot, proclaim, promulgate, publicize, publish, put about, put out, reach, reissue, remonetize, render, report, resign, revalue, reveal, revolve, rotate, round, run, screw, see the light, skirt, spin, spiral, spread, spread about, spread like wildfire, surrender, surround, swing, swivel, transfer, turn, turn a pirouette, turn around, turn over, turn round, twist, utter, wamble, wheel, wind