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

Curry made 10 3-pointers on Saturday night, moving him past Utah’s Kyle Korver for fourth on the NBA career list from beyond the arc; Curry has 2,277, while Korver has 2,274 entering Monday. — Tim Reynolds, The Seattle Times, "After further review, the NBA needs to change its policy," 7 Jan. 2019 By the Bulls’ fourth game Wednesday against the Mavericks, Ingram seemed to find more of an offensive rhythm, hitting 3 of 6 from beyond the arc and finishing with 13 points, four assists and two rebounds. — Malika Andrews, chicagotribune.com, "Donte Ingram is showcasing his game for Bulls' Summer League team while looking for his next gig," 13 July 2018 To make matters worse, Melo went cold from three, shooting only 19% when spotted up beyond the arc. — Rohan Nadkarni, SI.com, "With His OKC Era Waning, Carmelo Anthony Must Pick Between Two Clear Free-Agency Paths," 6 July 2018 This influences the arc of play, and the game achieves a sense of climax superior to its predecessors. — Charlie Theel, Ars Technica, "Arkham Horror Third Edition: The classic Lovecraft adventure returns," 24 Nov. 2018 Lucasfilm has that larger arc, begun with The Force Awakens, continued in The Last Jedi, and set to conclude in 2019 with Episode IX: The Real identities of Snoke and Rey. — Andrew Liptak, The Verge, "Lucasfilm canceling its Boba Fett film could be good news for Star Wars’ future," 26 Oct. 2018 Instead of carving out crisp arcs, makeup artists and lovers, alike, are creating cloud-like shapes along the creases of their eyes. — Devon Abelman, Allure, "Cloud Eye Makeup: How to Try the Viral Trend Taking Over Instagram," 31 Aug. 2018 This creates a higher arc during the summer months, making our days longer and hotter. — Madeline Mitchell, Cincinnati.com, "Summer solstice: What is it and why does it happen?," 20 June 2018 Below, take a look at XXXTentacion's career arc, from SoundCloud breakout artist to hip-hop star. — Billboard Staff, Billboard, "A Timeline of XXXTentacion's Career, From Soundcloud Rapper to Hip-Hop Sensation," 19 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The flight of the ball defied belief, arcing over the Chelsea defence and crashing into the net off the underside of the crossbar - an unstoppable effort by anyone's standards. — SI.com, "6 of the Best Moments From a Potentially Decisive Weekend of Premier League Action," 2 Apr. 2018 Before us is the gentle slope of the South Downs, a range of hills that arc from Hampshire, to the west, across 250 miles to Eastbourne and the sea. — Bruce Schoenfeld, WSJ, "English Wine Discovers Its New Sparkle," 5 Dec. 2018 On one play Sunday, Abby Dahlkemper arced a pass from beyond midfield on the right side to Rapinoe streaking along the left. — Rachel Bachman, WSJ, "Rock Star U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Makes World Cup," 15 Oct. 2018 Racket movements that should have easily resulted in high-arcing lobs often resulted into low shots over the net, for instance, without much rhyme or reason. — Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, "Hands-on: Oculus Quest is an intriguing new middle ground for VR," 27 Sep. 2018 But the ball dropped perfectly back to Mertens, whose volley from the right side of the box arced into the far corner. — Andy Scott, chicagotribune.com, "Lukaku scores twice as Belgium prove too strong for Panama," 18 June 2018 Plus, teams were packing the box against Argentina, as shown by Messi’s eight blocked shots and his shot chart that arced around the heart of the penalty area. — Paul Carr, SI.com, "Inside the Numbers of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup Past," 12 June 2018 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

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.