circumference
noun
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Attempts have been made to measure the circumference of the earth since the time of Aristotle. The calculation that Columbus was relying on led him to think he could reach China by sailing west more quickly than by sailing east. But that measurement had calculated the earth's circumference as about a quarter too small, and the rest is history. Columbus wasn't the only one who got it wrong; many later attempts continued to produce different measurements for the earth's circumference—even though the Greeks had calculated it correctly way back in the 3rd century B.C.
Examples of circumference in a Sentence
Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 23 May 2025
Heart rate Waist circumference Physical activity levels and daily steps
Sleep patterns
Menstrual cycle
Optimize Your Nutrition
Abby Chan, MS, RDN is a registered dietitian and co-owner of Evolve Flagstaff, a collaborative health and performance center in Flagstaff, Arizona.
—Jess Cording, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Times may change on a dime in our tumultuous world, but one thing always remains the same: pi, the irrational-mathematical constant, the ol’ circumference/diameter split, the big 3.14159265358979323….
—John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2025
Rivers became friends that extended his circumference of being.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 14 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Circumference.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/circumference. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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circumference
noun
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