Meaning & use
semicircle
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Meanings
nouncountable
Half of a circle, formed by a straight line through the center and the curved edge on one side.
Grammar: Countable; use 'a semicircle' for one, 'semicircles' for more.
Patterns
- in a semicircle
- form a semicircle
- a semicircle of something
The children sat in a semicircle around the storyteller.
Draw a semicircle with a radius of five centimeters.
The chairs were arranged in a semicircle facing the stage.
nouncountable
A group of people or things arranged in a curved half-circle shape.
Grammar: Countable; often used with 'in' to describe an arrangement.
Patterns
- in a semicircle
- arrange something in a semicircle
The audience formed a semicircle around the street performer.
We placed the flowers in a semicircle on the table.
Word forms
| plural | semicircles |
|---|
Common combinations
- in a semicircle
- The students stood in a semicircle for the group photo.
- form a semicircle
- The dancers formed a semicircle at the end of the show.
- a semicircle of chairs
- A semicircle of chairs was set up for the discussion.
Synonyms and how they differ
- half-circle
- Half-circle is a less formal way to say the same thing; semicircle is more precise and common in geometry.
Word family
- semicircular adjective
- Shaped like a half-circle.
Commonly confused: semicircle or hemisphere?
semicircle vs hemisphere
A hemisphere is half of a sphere (a 3D ball), while a semicircle is half of a flat circle.
Practice
The chairs were arranged in a ______ so everyone could see the speaker.
Choose one answer.
The phrase 'in a semicircle' is the correct noun pattern. 'Semicircular' is an adjective and would need a noun after it; 'semicircles' is plural and would not follow 'a'; 'circle' would mean a full circle, not a half.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “semicircle”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.