Standard Lemma guide

semicircle

noun · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A half of a circle.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: graphometer

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: ball-games, games, hobbies, lifestyle, soccer, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: penalty arc, the D

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To travel or move around in a semicircle.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: ambitransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

a plane figure with the shape of half a circle

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hemicycle

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: plane figure, two-dimensional figure

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *sem- Proto-Indo-European *sēmi Latin sēmi-bor. English semi- Ancient Greek κίρκος (kírkos)bor. Latin circus Proto-Indo-European *-lós Proto-Indo-European *-elós Proto-Italic *-elos Latin -ulus Latin circulus Old French cerclebor. Middle English circle English circle English semicircle From semi- + circle.

Across languages

Translations

52 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: կիսաշրջան (kisašrǰan) — half of a circle
  • Asturian: semicírculu — half of a circle
  • Azerbaijani: yarımdairə — half of a circle
  • Belarusian: паўкру́г (pawkrúh) — half of a circle
  • Belarusian: паўко́ла (pawkóla) — half of a circle
  • Bengali: অর্ধবৃত্ত (ordhobritto) — half of a circle
  • Bulgarian: полукръг (polukrǎg) — half of a circle
  • Carpathian Rusyn: піл'коля (pilʺkolja) — half of a circle
  • Catalan: semicercle — half of a circle
  • Chinese Mandarin: 半圓 /半圆 (bànyuán) — half of a circle
  • Czech: půlkruh — half of a circle
  • Estonian: poolring — half of a circle
  • Faroese: hálvringur — half of a circle
  • Faroese: hálvsirkul — half of a circle
  • Finnish: puoliympyrä — half of a circle
  • French: demi-cercle — half of a circle
  • Galician: semicírculo — half of a circle
  • German: Halbkreis — half of a circle
  • Greek: ημικύκλιο (imikýklio) — half of a circle
  • Ancient Greek: ἡμικύκλιον (hēmikúklion) — half of a circle
  • Hebrew: חֲצִי עִגּוּל (khatsí igúl) — half of a circle
  • Hungarian: félkör — half of a circle
  • Italian: semicerchio — half of a circle
  • Japanese: 半円 (han'en) — half of a circle
  • Korean: 반원 (banwon) — half of a circle
  • Lao: ເຄິ່ງວົງກົມ (khœng wong kom) — half of a circle
  • Latin: sēmicirculus — half of a circle
  • Latin: hēmicyclium — half of a circle
  • Norwegian Bokmål: halvsirkel — half of a circle
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: halvsirkel — half of a circle
  • Occitan: semicercle — half of a circle
  • Persian: نیمدایره (nimdâyere) — half of a circle
  • Persian: نیمگرد (nimgerd) — half of a circle
  • Polish: półkole — half of a circle
  • Polish: półokrąg — half of a circle
  • Portuguese: semicírculo — half of a circle
  • Romanian: semicerc — half of a circle
  • Russian: полукру́г (polukrúg) — half of a circle
  • Sanskrit: वृत्तार्ध (vṛttārdha) — half of a circle
  • Lower Sorbian: połkoło — half of a circle
  • Lower Sorbian: połkrejz — half of a circle
  • Upper Sorbian: połkruh — half of a circle
  • Upper Sorbian: połkoło — half of a circle
  • Southern Altai: јарым тегерик (ǰarïm tegerik) — half of a circle
  • Southern Altai: јарымдай тегерик (ǰarïmday tegerik) — half of a circle
  • Spanish: semicírculo — half of a circle
  • Swedish: halvcirkel — half of a circle
  • Tagalog: hatimbilog — half of a circle
  • Tagalog: balinugnog — half of a circle
  • Thai: ครึ่งวงกลม (krʉ̂ng-wong-glom) — half of a circle
  • Ukrainian: півко́ло (pivkólo) — half of a circle
  • Welsh: hanner cylch — half of a circle