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
Devon Abelman, Allure, 23 Oct. 2024
For one, the waists rose and the circumferences shrunk, as Black men played with the proportions of the prepster and the dandy.
—Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2024
Band size is the measurement of the circumference of your rib cage just below your breasts in inches.
—Charlotte Owen, Vogue, 21 Sep. 2024
Both the double cheeseburger and spicy chicken sandwich appeared to be full-size versions of each sandwich, the chicken patty and ground beef matching the circumference of their respective buns.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Circumference.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/circumference. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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circumference
noun
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