\ ˈärk
\
\
plural arcs
Definition of arc
(Entry 1 of 5)
1
: the apparent path described above and below the horizon by a celestial body (such as the sun)
2a
: something arched or curved
b
: a curved path
the arc of a fly ball
c
basketball
: three-point line
At week's end he was shooting 40.0% from behind the arc and averaging 19.6 points.— Phil Taylor
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
arc
verb
arced\
ˈärkt
\; arcing\
ˈär-kiŋ
\
\; arcing\
ˈär-kiŋ
\
Definition of arc (Entry 2 of 5)
1
: to form an electric arc (see arc entry 1 sense 3)
2
: to follow an arc-shaped course
The ball arced across the sky.
: to throw, hit, or kick (something, such as a ball) on a high, arc-shaped course
After driving into the long rough, he reached for a 4-wood and arced the ball just wide of the green.— Jeff Shain
arc
adjectiveDefinition of arc (Entry 3 of 5)
mathematics
: inverse sense 2
—used with the trigonometric functions and hyperbolic functions
ARC
abbreviationDefinition of ARC (Entry 4 of 5)
1
AIDS-related complex
2
American Red Cross
ARC
abbreviation or noun
\ ˌā-ˌär-ˈsē
\
\
plural ARCs
Definition of ARC (Entry 5 of 5)
: a copy of a printed work (such as a novel or textbook) sent as a promotion prior to the official release
First, I receive a box of paperback, smaller versions of my book called advance reader copies (ARCs).— Susan Van Kirk While some houses like Chronicle Books continued to sell on the show floor, albeit at 50% discount, many publishers offered free ARCs …— Judith Rosen
Synonyms & Antonyms for arc
Synonyms: Noun
Synonyms: Verb
Antonyms: Verb
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Examples of arc in a Sentence
Noun
He bent the twig into an arc.
The ball floated in a high arc.
Verb
The arrow arced through the air.
A light arced across the sky.
The island chain arcs from north to south.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Ole Miss thriving beyond the arc early, connecting on 4-of-7 3-point attempts so far.
—
Tom Green | Tgreen@al.com, al, 15 Jan. 2022
Teammate Jules Bernard grabbed the rebound, trying desperately to get beyond the arc for another try.
—
Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2022
Heather Middleton went 2-for-3 from beyond the arc to lead the Wildcats with 25 points overall.
—
Baltimore Sun Staff, baltimoresun.com, 10 Jan. 2022
Abandoning his signature jumper mid-flight, Murray decided to ship the ball to Keldon Johnson beyond the arc.
—
Jeff Mcdonald, San Antonio Express-News, 22 Dec. 2021
Oakland continued to bomb away from outside, with Moore hitting a deep one over a flat-footed Hoggard and Cain hitting two more — the Grizzlies were 6-for-11 from beyond the arc in the half.
—
Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, 22 Dec. 2021
Ohio State shot the ball well enough from beyond the arc to get itself back into the game in the first quarter.
—
Matt Cohen, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Dec. 2021
The Cardinal small forward caught the ball, dribbled twice and pulled up from just beyond the arc — all in a little more than one second.
—
oregonlive, 12 Dec. 2021
Orlando jumped out to a 22-13 lead with four minutes remaining in the first quarter by making five of its first six from beyond the arc. ...
—
Joe Reedy, ajc, 12 Dec. 2021
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Renderings include a lavish performance area cupped against a ridge-like ramp that would arc through part of the block, allowing elevated views of the surrounding towers.
—
John King, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 Sep. 2021
On her feet once more and hunched in a defense stance, Eggleston watched Gabriel’s loft flutter high and arc down toward sophomore outside hitter Skylar Fields.
—
Nick Moyle, San Antonio Express-News, 22 Apr. 2021
Combined with a Savoir bed, the florals arc across the headboard in a bright half mandala.
—
Kate Mcgregor, ELLE Decor, 22 Mar. 2021
Yet several of the episodes don't really arc toward anything, but rather abruptly end before moving on to the next chapter.
—
Brian Lowry, CNN, 2 Dec. 2020
Bottlenose dolphins arc through the water in unison, for instance, and males of some firefly species harmonize their flashes.
—
Marta Zaraska, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2020
Scholl, who’s from Cincinnati, is a computer science graduate, amateur pilot, and longtime aviation buff, but the early parts of his career don’t arc toward aerospace.
—
Ashlee Vance, Bloomberg.com, 6 Oct. 2020
Strange trails arc through the sky, as if fireworks were being set off in daylight.
—
Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2020
Solar flares arc over the sun’s corona, the burning hot outermost layer of gas in its atmosphere.
—
Nora Mcgreevy, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 July 2020
See MoreThese 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.
Learn More About arc
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Last Updated
23 Jan 2022
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Cite this Entry
“Arc.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arc. Accessed 27 Jan. 2022.
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More Definitions for arc
arc
noun
English Language Learners Definition of arc
(Entry 1 of 2)
: 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
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of arc (Entry 2 of 2)
: to move or lie in a curving path : to follow an arc-shaped course
: to form an electric arc
See the full definition for arc in the English Language Learners Dictionary
arc
noun
\ ˈärk
\
\
Kids Definition of arc
(Entry 1 of 2)
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
arced\
ˈärkt
\; arcing\
ˈär-kiŋ
\
Kids Definition of arc (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: to form an electric arc
2
: to follow a curved course
A missile arced across the sky.
arc
noun
\ ˈärk
\
\
Medical Definition of arc
(Entry 1 of 2)
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
abbreviationMedical Definition of ARC (Entry 2 of 2)
1
AIDS-related complex
2
American Red Cross
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Time Traveler for arc
The first known use of arc was in the 14th century
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