arc

noun

\ˈärk

plural arcs

Definition of arc

(Entry 1 of 4)

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

Definition of arc (Entry 2 of 4)

intransitive verb

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.

transitive verb

: 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

adjective

Definition of arc (Entry 3 of 4)

mathematics

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

ARC

abbreviation

Definition of ARC (Entry 4 of 4)

1 AIDS-related complex

2 American Red Cross

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about arc

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Synonyms & Antonyms for arc

Synonyms: Noun

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

Synonyms: Verb

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

Antonyms: Verb

straighten

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.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Who knows, maybe the creative Kerr will have Cousins camping behind the arc and Curry posting up low. — Scott Ostler, SFChronicle.com, "Passion for golf has been with Stephen Curry since an early age," 12 July 2018 There were few options in free agency at Bogdanovic's position and price range with his track record behind the arc. — J. Michael, Indianapolis Star, "Bojan Bogdanovic will return to the Pacers, report says," 29 June 2018 The Tampa native averaged 15.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game, shooting 77.4% from the line and 34.1% from behind the arc. — Heather Boehm, SI.com, "Knicks Select Kevin Knox II with No. 9 Pick in 2018 NBA Draft," 21 June 2018 The Kentucky All-Stars thrived from the 3-point line, hitting 13 of 27 from behind the arc. — Kenzie Winstead, The Courier-Journal, "Kentucky All-Star boys and girls basketball beat Indiana teams," 8 June 2018 Friday Curry ranged far behind the arc for a few of his threes. — Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, "Stephen Curry started — and carried — a Warriors’ dynasty," 8 June 2018 Villanova entered the game with 44 3-pointers for the tournament, but only hit four of their 24 attempts from beyond the arc Sunday. — Samuel Chamberlain, Fox News, "Kansas, Villanova punch last two tickets to Final Four," 26 Mar. 2018 Berger finished with 20 points, making 8 of 11 from the field, 4 of 5 from behind the arc. — Plain Dealer Sports, cleveland.com, "John Carroll rocks Baldwin Wallace in OAC men's semifinal," 22 Feb. 2018 Tillman, a sophomore, drained one from beyond the NBA arc while unguarded, and rattled in another that hit the front rim and dropped through the net with a shooter’s touch. — Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, "Can Michigan State's Xavier Tillman, Nick Ward stay on floor together?," 12 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The fountains were timed to the music in huge, arcing sprays of water set to the beat. — Charlotte Wilder, SI.com, "In a Season to Remember, Las Vegas Knights Fans Experience The Agony of Defeat," 8 June 2018 Cruyff was a master of flicks, feints, impudent shots and passes that described arcing lines of beauty. — The Economist, "When drama and beauty turn the World Cup into art," 7 June 2018 After all, the teen had done it several times before – find a tall spindly tree, shimmy up until the tree bent under his weight and swing himself as the arcing branch lowered him to the ground below. — Shari Rudavsky, Indianapolis Star, "Doctors at Riley thought boy might never walk again. He surprised them.," 13 Apr. 2018 Sometimes arcing can be a single spark to something larger that can create heat and possibly smoke. — Dana Hedgpeth, Washington Post, "Metro restores service on Red Line in downtown Washington after debris fire," 1 June 2018 This storytelling space, which offers four arcing benches to visitors, is the inner of two concentric circles—beyond it lies a redbrick walkway, on which museumgoers can wander at their own pace and immerse themselves in the circular symbolism. — Ryan P. Smith, Smithsonian, "This Innovative Memorial Will Soon Honor Native American Veterans," 11 May 2018 Houston keeper Jane Campbell leaped for the ball, extending her hand toward the crossbar as the ball seemingly grazed her fingertips and arced down into the back of the net. — Glynn A. Hill, Houston Chronicle, "Dash's unbeaten streak ends with loss to Thorns," 22 June 2018 Only the fourth, a quite beautiful, arcing strike from Denis Cheryshev, did not bear his imprimatur. — Rory Smith, New York Times, "For Russia, Five Goals and One Big Sigh of Relief," 14 June 2018 An arcing fastener caused a fire on the tracks at Pentagon City that disrupted the morning commute, Metro said Monday afternoon. — Dana Hedgpeth And Faiz Siddiqui, Washington Post, "Normal service resumes on Metro’s Blue and Yellow lines after track fire at Pentagon City," 7 Mar. 2018

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.