Circuits

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Paths or loops through which electricity flows ; designated tracks used for car races or other competitions ; a set of sequential locations visited regularly for a specific purpose
2. Closed electrical loops that allow current to move ; defined courses designed for sports or entertainment events ; orderly chains of places connected by travel or duty
3. Electrical pathways that form a complete loop ; specialized tracks intended for competitive racing ; a connected sequence of sites forming a recurring journey or circuit

Etymology: The noun "circuits" is the plural of "circuit," and the word's core idea is literally "a going round." It came into English in Middle English from Old French "circuit," which traces back to Latin "circuitus," from "circuire," meaning "go round," built from "circum" ("around") and "ire" ("go"). The sense of movement around a closed route stayed central as the word spread into new uses. Its electrical sense is a later extension: a closed loop through which current travels, a path that must return to its starting point for the flow to work. Race tracks and regular rounds of visits share that same picture of a loop traversed again and again. Chinese "dào" and "lù" also served as the model for an older political usage, where imperial administrative divisions were called circuits, a calque from Chinese.

Synonyms: loops, paths, networks, systems, routes