n. [ F. circuit, fr. L. circuitus, fr. circuire or circumire to go around; circum around + ire to go. ] 1. The act of moving or revolving around, or as in a circle or orbit; a revolution; as, the periodical circuit of the earth round the sun. Watts. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The circumference of, or distance round, any space; the measure of a line round an area. [ 1913 Webster ]

The circuit or compass of Ireland is 1, 800 miles. J. Stow. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. That which encircles anything, as a ring or crown. [ 1913 Webster ]

The golden circuit on my head. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. The space inclosed within a circle, or within limits. [ 1913 Webster ]

A circuit wide inclosed with goodliest trees. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A regular or appointed journeying from place to place in the exercise of one's calling, as of a judge, or a preacher. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (a) (Law) A certain division of a state or country, established by law for a judge or judges to visit, for the administration of justice. Bouvier. (b) (Methodist Church) A district in which an itinerant preacher labors. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. Circumlocution. [ Obs. ] “Thou hast used no circuit of words.” Huloet. [ 1913 Webster ]

Circuit court (Law), a court which sits successively in different places in its circuit (see Circuit, 6). In the United States, the federal circuit courts are commonly presided over by a judge of the supreme court, or a special circuit judge, together with the judge of the district court. They have jurisdiction within statutory limits, both in law and equity, in matters of federal cognizance. Some of the individual States also have circuit courts, which have general statutory jurisdiction of the same class, in matters of State cognizance. --
Circuit of action or
Circuity of action (Law), a longer course of proceedings than is necessary to attain the object in view. --
To make a circuit, to go around; to go a roundabout way. --
Voltaic circle or
Galvanic circle or
Voltaic circuit or
Galvanic circuit, a continous electrical communication between the two poles of a battery; an arrangement of voltaic elements or couples with proper conductors, by which a continuous current of electricity is established. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To move in a circle; to go round; to circulate. [ Obs. ] J. Philips. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To travel around. [ Obs. ] “Having circuited the air.” T. Warton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Elec.) A device contained within an electrical circuit designed to interrupt the circuit when the current exceeds a preset value; it is sometimes called a contact breaker. Its function is to prevent fire or damage to the circuit or the devices on the circuit which could be caused by excess current, such as that caused by a short-circuit. It differs from a fuse in not having a conducting element which melts (see 2nd fuse, n.). Circuit breakers are designed to be easily reset, i. e. to reclose the circuit after it has been opened by the circuit breaker; this is usually accomplished by simply moving a switch back and forth. They are commonly used in buildings to protect individual electrical lines, and are often contained in groups within a box called a circuit breaker panel, which divides the current from a main electrical line into multiple circuits each protected by a separate circuit breaker. Less commonly they may be found on individual devices. [ PJC ]

n. A circuiter. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who travels a circuit, as a circuit judge. [ R. ] R. Whitlock. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. circuitio. See Circuit. ] The act of going round; circumlocution. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ LL. circuitosus. ] Going round in a circuit; roundabout; indirect; as, a circuitous road; a circuitous manner of accomplishing an end. -- Cir*cu"i*tous*ly, adv. -- Cir*cu"i*tous*ness, n.

Syn. -- Tortuous; winding; sinuous; serpentine. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A going round in a circle; a course not direct; a roundabout way of proceeding. [ 1913 Webster ]