arc

1 of 5

noun

ˈärk 

plural arcs

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

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

2 of 5

verb

arced ˈärkt  ; arcing ˈär-kiŋ 

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

3 of 5

adjective

mathematics

: inverse sense 2

—used with the trigonometric functions and hyperbolic functions

ARC

4 of 5

abbreviation

1

AIDS-related complex

2

American Red Cross

ARC

5 of 5

abbreviation or noun

ˌā-ˌär-ˈsē 

plural ARCs

: 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

Noun

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

Verb

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

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

Instead of a gradually building arc, we were instead presented with what could be best described as a random series of events. —Dalton Ross, EW.com, 15 May 2025

Mejia broke out with her scene-stealing character arc as Maria Sofia Estrada on Curb Your Enthusiasm, HBO’s award-winning comedy series from Larry David. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 14 May 2025

Verb

Attorneys representing residents who have filed lawsuits against Southern California Edison allege witnesses saw arcing at the tower moments before the blaze. —Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2025

Gulping 40,000 pounds of propellant per second, the booster climbed away from its launch stand and gracefully arced over to the east atop a long jet of flaming exhaust visible for dozens of miles around. —William Harwood, CBS News, 17 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

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

Adjective

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

Abbreviation or noun

advanced reader copy

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1883, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

circa 1949, in the meaning defined above

Abbreviation Or Noun

2006, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing arc

• arc cosine
• arc lamp
• arc minute
• arc second
• arc sine
• arc tangent
• reflex arc

Rhymes for arc

• ark
• bark
• barque
• dark
• hark
• lark
• marc
• mark
• marque
• narc
• quark
• shark

Kids Definition

arc

1 of 2 noun

ˈärk 

1

a

: something curved

b

: a curved path

2

: a glowing flow of electricity across a gap in a circuit or between electrodes

3

: a continuous portion of a curved line (as part of the circumference of a circle)

arc

2 of 2 verb

1

: to form an electric arc

2

: to follow an arc-shaped course

Medical Definition

arc

1 of 2 noun

ˈärk 

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

2 of 2 abbreviation

1

AIDS-related complex

2

American Red Cross