Pronunciation: (sûr'kit), [key]
1. an act or instance of going or moving around.
2. a circular journey or one beginning and ending at the same place; a round.
3. a roundabout journey or course.
4. a periodical journey from place to place, to perform certain duties, as by judges to hold court, ministers to preach, or salespeople covering a route.
5. the persons making such a journey.
6. the route followed, places visited, or district covered by such a journey.
7. the line going around or bounding any area or object; the distance about an area or object.
8. the space within a bounding line; district: the circuit of the valley.
a. Also called electric circuit. the complete path of an electric current, including the generating apparatus, intervening resistors, or capacitors.
b. any well-defined segment of a complete circuit.
10. Telecommunications.a means of transmitting communication signals or messages, usually comprising two channels for interactive communication. Cf. channel1 (def. 12).
11. a number of theaters, nightclubs, etc., controlled by the same owner or manager or visited in turn by the same entertainers or acting companies.
12. a league or association: He used to play baseball for the Texas circuit.
13. ride circuit, Law.(of a judge) to travel a judicial county or district in order to conduct judicial proceedings.
to go or move around; make the circuit of.
to go or move in a circuit.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.