arc

play

noun \ ˈärk \

Definition of arc

1 :the apparent path described above and below the horizon by a celestial body (such as the sun)

2 a :something arched or curved

b :a curved path

the arc of a fly ball

3 :a sustained luminous discharge of electricity across a gap in a circuit or between electrodes; also :arc lamp

4 :a continuous portion (as of a circle or ellipse) of a curved line

5 :degree measurement on the circumference of a circle —used especially in the phrase of arc

11 minutes 3 seconds of arc

6 :a continuous progression or line of development

a story's dramatic arc

See arc defined for English-language learners

See arc defined for kids

Examples of arc in a Sentence

He bent the twig into an arc.
The ball floated in a high arc.

Recent Examples of arc from the Web

Bryce Brown was hot from behind the arc, Anfernee McLemore was strong in the paint and Jared Harper was a facilitator in Auburn's second win in Italy.

— james crepea, AL.com, "Bryce Brown leads Auburn basketball to second win in Italy," 11 Aug. 2017
Players will have one minute to shoot from five locations around the three-point arc.

— percy allen, The Seattle Times, "Storm’s Sue Bird headlines WNBA’s Three-Point Contest," 18 July 2017
The 7-footer is a career 36.8 percent shooter from beyond the arc who averaged 9.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists in his time with the Celtics.

— manny navarro, miamiherald, "Riley, Heat turn to Plan C: sign Olynyk, on verge of trade to clear cap space for Johnson, Ellington," 6 July 2017
The entire story arc was thrown off by one moment the entire world, let alone Parker and Stone, never expected: the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States.

— matt miller, Esquire, "Why South Park Will Completely Ignore Donald Trump Next Season," 5 July 2017
Gustavo and Lucia simply take too long to prove their value in the broader arc of the season.

— vanityfair.com, "Snowfall Provides Only Fleeting, Forgettable Highs," 5 July 2017
That claim rang true to U.S. analysts, who agreed that the high arc was likely intended to avoid possibly hitting Japanese territory.

— joby warrick, Washington Post, "Experts: North Korea’s missile was a ‘real ICBM’ — and a grave milestone," 4 July 2017
But government and independent analyses showed the missile traveling in a steep arc that topped out at more than 1,740 vertical miles above the Earth’s surface.

— joby warrick, Washington Post, "Experts: North Korea’s missile was a ‘real ICBM’ — and a grave milestone," 4 July 2017
The line that the two commanders agreed upon runs in an arc from the southern shore of Lake Assad to a small town east of Raqqa.

— michael r. gordon, New York Times, "U.S.-Backed Forces Close to Trapping ISIS Holdouts in Raqqa," 2 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'arc.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of arc

Middle English ark, from Anglo-French arc bow, from Latin arcus bow, arch, arc — more at arrow

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

arc Synonyms

Synonyms

angle, bend, arch, bow, crook, curvature, curve, inflection, turn, wind

Related Words

kink, warp; circle, ring, ringlet, round; coil, curl, curlicue (also curlycue); buckle, convolution, flexure, fold, loop, spiral, swirl, twist, winding; incurvature, reflection; decline, inclination, incline, slope; corner, turnoff; dogleg, hairpin

Other Electrical Engineering Terms

feedback, fuse, incandescent, noise, resonance

arc

verb

Definition of arc

arced play \ˈärkt\; arcing play \ˈär-kiŋ\

intransitive verb

1 :to form an electric arc (see ¹arc 3)

2 :to follow an arc-shaped course

The ball arced across the sky.

See arc defined for English-language learners

Examples of arc in a Sentence

The arrow arced through the air.
A light arced across the sky.
The island chain arcs from north to south.

Recent Examples of arc from the Web

Flying 2,700 kilometers (about 1,700 miles), the missile arced over Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, prompting Japanese officials to issue a civil defense warning to citizens.

— sean gallagher, Ars Technica, "Why the US and Japan didn’t shoot down latest North Korean missile," 29 Aug. 2017
The right-hander began his wind up, and delivered a pitch that arced almost instantly up and to the right.

— luke o'neil, Esquire, "Watching a Guy Take a Heater to the Crotch is America's True National Pastime," 17 Aug. 2017
The national park in Wyoming is in the path of totality that arcs through the country.

— jean marbella, baltimoresun.com, "Reward increased for info on hit-and-run that killed bicyclist," 15 Aug. 2017
Steve Klinsky shared house with Robert Kaplan and Phil Murphy New Mountain CEO’s Freshman Year for Free offers 40 courses Steve Klinsky knows how Goldman Sachs careers can arc and bend.

— amanda l gordon, Bloomberg.com, "In the Hamptons, a Financier Talks Housemates and College Credit," 11 Aug. 2017
Most calls were about arcing or fallen power lines.

— mike danahey, Elgin Courier-News, "Trees down, power out as storms hit Elgin," 12 July 2017
Big snow blowers sent plumes arcing through the air and off the side of the road.

— brian melley, The Seattle Times, "California still digging out snowy roads, but heat may help," 15 June 2017
His arms did the same thing: arced out from his body.

— elisabeth egan, chicagotribune.com, "Algren Award finalist: "Errata" by Carol Keeley," 10 June 2017
A sparkling chandelier with cascading floral wreaths was centered by swaths of snowy drapes arcing from the ceiling, and white hydrangeas in crystal vases topped elegantly appointed tables at the Msgr.

— elizabeth moore, NOLA.com, "OLL offers 'Taste of Tammany' to raise funds for school," 30 May 2017

Origin and Etymology of arc

see ¹arc

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1883

See Words from the same year

arc Synonyms

Synonyms

curve, arch, bend, bow, crook, fall off, hook, round, sweep, swerve, trend, wheel

Antonyms

straighten

Related Words

circle, coil, curlicue, curl, loop, spiral; turn, twist, wind; deviate, veer

Other Electrical Engineering Terms

feedback, fuse, incandescent, noise, resonance

arc

adjective

Definition of arc

mathematics

:inverse 2 —used with the trigonometric functions and hyperbolic functions

Origin and Etymology of arc

arc sine arc or angle (corresponding to the) sine (of so many degrees)

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1949

See Words from the same year

ARC

abbreviation

Definition of ARC

1 AIDS-related complex

2 American Red Cross

Other Medicine Terms

analgesia, angina, diabetes, hepatitis, homeopathy, logorrhea, palliate, pandemic

ARC Defined for English Language Learners

arc

play

noun

Definition of arc for English Language Learners

: a line or shape that is curved like part of a circle
: a brightly glowing electric current that flows across an open space between two points (such as two electrodes)

arc

verb

Definition of arc for English Language Learners

: to move or lie in a curving path : to follow an arc-shaped course
: to form an electric arc

ARC Defined for Kids

arc

play

noun \ ˈärk \

Definition of arc for Students

1 :a glowing light across a gap in an electric circuit or between electrodes

2 :a part of a curved line between any two points on it

arc

verb

Definition of arc for Students

arced \ˈärkt\; arcing \ˈär-kiŋ\

1 :to form an electric arc

2 :to follow a curved course

A missile arced across the sky.

Medical Dictionary

arc

play

noun \ ˈärk \

medical Definition of arc

1 :an arched or curved anatomical part, distance, or pathway — see reflex arc

2 :a sustained luminous discharge of electricity across a gap in a circuit or between electrodes

ARC

abbreviation

medical Definition of ARC

1 AIDS-related complex

2 American Red Cross

Learn More about arc

See words that rhyme with arc Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for arc Spanish Central: Translation of arc Nglish: Translation of arc for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of arc for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about arc

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arc

Definition of arc

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Definition of arc

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