cirque
3 synonyms for cirque, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A bowl-shaped hollow carved into a mountainside by glacial erosion, usually at the head of a valley.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use cirque
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
glacial cirque
A specialised term used mainly in geography and geology.
Etymology
Borrowed from French cirque, from Latin circus ("circle, ring") — a doublet of the English word "circus".
Full origin of cirque →Frequently asked questions
What does “cirque” mean?
The word “cirque” means a bowl-shaped hollow carved into a mountainside by glacial erosion, usually at the head of a valley. In plain terms, a geological term for a rounded, steep-walled basin left behind by a glacier.
How do you pronounce “cirque”?
“Cirque” is pronounced surk (/sɝk/ in IPA).
How do you use “cirque” in a sentence?
Here is “cirque” used in a sentence: “Hikers stopped to admire the dramatic cirque carved by the ancient glacier.”
What part of speech is “cirque”?
“Cirque” is a noun.
Where does the word “cirque” come from?
The word “cirque” comes from Latin. Borrowed from French cirque, from Latin circus ("circle, ring") — a doublet of the English word "circus".
