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Circus - Definition and Overview |
| Related Words: O, Agora, Amphitheater, Annulus, Arena, Areola, Auditorium, Aureole, Background, Bowl, Burlesque, Campus, Canvas, Carnival, Circle, Circuit, Circumference, Cockpit, Coliseum |
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The term circus originates from Latin and can mean several things:
- A public equipped space for shows and other spectacles of the Classical period (e.g., in ancient Rome, the Circus Maximus); the term derives from the circular shape of the first arenas in which, mostly, horse and biga (two-horse chariot) races were run.
- A travelling show that usually includes acrobats, animal trainers, clowns and other novelty acts. See Circus (performing art).
- In town planning, an open space, usually circular, where a number of roads meet, such as Oxford Circus, Cambridge Circus and Piccadilly Circus in London, or "The Circus" in Bath.
- Circus is a genus of harriers, a type of bird of prey.
It is also the name of several movies:
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