From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Circus \Cir"cus\, n.; pl. {Circuses}. [L. circus circle, ring,
circus (in sense 1). See {Circle}, and cf. {Cirque}.]
[1913 Webster]
1. (Roman Antiq.) A level oblong space surrounded on three
sides by seats of wood, earth, or stone, rising in tiers
one above another, and divided lengthwise through the
middle by a barrier around which the track or course was
laid out. It was used for chariot races, games, and public
shows.
[1913 Webster]
Note: The Circus Maximus at Rome could contain more than
100,000 spectators. --Harpers' Latin Dict.
[1913 Webster]
2. A circular inclosure for the exhibition of feats of
horsemanship, acrobatic displays, etc. Also, the company
of performers, with their equipage.
[1913 Webster]
3. Circuit; space; inclosure. [R.]
[1913 Webster]
The narrow circus of my dungeon wall. --Byron.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
circus
n 1: a travelling company of entertainers; including trained
animals; "he ran away from home to join the circus"
2: a performance given by a traveling company of acrobats,
clowns, and trained animals; "the children always love to go
to the circus"
3: a frenetic disorganized (and often comic) disturbance
suggestive of a large public entertainment; "it was so funny
it was a circus"; "the whole occasion had a carnival
atmosphere" [syn: {circus}, {carnival}]
4: (antiquity) an open-air stadium for chariot races and
gladiatorial games
5: an arena consisting of an oval or circular area enclosed by
tiers of seats and usually covered by a tent; "they used the
elephants to help put up the circus"
6: a genus of haws comprising the harriers [syn: {Circus},
{genus Circus}]
From Latin-English FreeDict Dictionary ver. 0.1.1 [fd-lat-eng]:
circus
circle
From Dutch-English Freedict Dictionary ver. 0.1.3 [fd-nld-eng]:
circus /sirkɵs/
circus
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