great circle

noun

1. a circle on a spherical surface such that the plane containing the circle passes through the center of the sphere. Compare small circle.
2. a circle of which a segment represents the shortest distance between two points on the surface of the earth.

great circle

noun

1. a circular section of a sphere that has a radius equal to that of the sphere Compare small circle

great circle

1. A circle on the surface of a sphere whose plane passes through the center of the sphere. The Earth's equator is a great circle on the sphere of the globe.

Word History and Origins

Origin of great circle¹

First recorded in 1585–95

Example Sentences

He credits his routine of helping keep him up along with a great circle of support, having heard from hundreds of people since his mother died.

From Seattle Times

“The great circle in the sky,” as Brandt calls it, may be a region just beyond the heliopause where ions snared in a magnetic field spawn ENAs.

From Science Magazine

These sites were planned on the image of a great circle — or series of circles — of houses, with nobody first, nobody last, divided into districts with assembly buildings for public meetings.

From New York Times

A cold wind had risen, swirling the leaves in great circles above their heads.

From Literature

A pilot flying a great circle route straight from New York to Tokyo passes over northern Alaska.

From Scientific American