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ry extraordinary; having extraordinary properties; as, a magic lantern; a magic square or circle. The painter's magic skill. Cowper.

A great circle of the sphere passing through the poles of the heavens and the zenith of a given place. It is crossed by the sun at midday.

It is taken from the Latin forms similarly used; as, duodecimo, sextodecimo, etc. A small circle, placed after the number and near its top, is often used for -mo; as, 16°, 18°, etc.

large stones, etc., laid in the sea, often extended either in a right line or an arc of a circle before a port which it serves to defend from the violence of the waves, thus protecting ships in a harbor; also, sometimes, the harbor itself. Brande & C.

A ball or globe forming part of the regalia of an emperor or other sovereign. It is encircled with bands, enriched with precious stones, and surmounted with a cross; -- called also globe.

ver and surrounding objects are seen projected on the cloud, greatly enlarged and often encircled by rainbow colors.

Resembling a wall; perpendicular or steep; as, a mural precipice. Mural circle (Astron.), a graduated circle, in the plane of the meridian, attached permanently to a perpendicular wall; -- used for measuring arcs of the meridian. See Circle, n., 3. -- Mural crown (Rom. Antiq.), a golden crown, or circle of gold indent…

A circle, or disk, or any indication of radiant light around the heads of divinities, saints, and sovereigns, upon medals, pictures, etc.; a halo. See Aureola, and Glory, n., 5.

e more; one less than ten; as, nine miles. Nine men's morris. See Morris. -- Nine points circle (Geom.), a circle so related to any given triangle as to pass through the three points in which the perpendiculars from the angles of the triangle upon the opposite sides (or the sides produced) meet the sides. It also pass…

hat the ternary, or number 3, is the most perfect of numbers, and properly expressed by a circle, the most perfect figure. O was also anciently used to represent 11: with a dash over it (O O, n.; pl. O's or Oes (.

ge, n. -- Oblique case (Gram.), any case except the nominative. See Case, n. -- Oblique circle (Projection), a circle whose plane is oblique to the axis of the primitive plane. -- Oblique fire (Mil.), a fire the direction of which is not perpendicular to the line fired at. -- Oblique flank (Fort.), that part of the…

ach of which has one edge overlapping the nearest edge of the other, and secondarily to a circle of several leaves or petals which thus overlap.

ult. The reappearance of such an author after those long periods of occultation. Jeffrey. Circle of perpetual occultation. See under Circle.

The eighth part of a circle; an arc of 45 degrees.

tion occurs. A uniaxial crystal has one such line, a biaxial crystal has two. -- Optical circle (Opt.), a graduated circle used for the measurement of angles in optical experiments. -- Optical square, a surveyor's instrument with reflectors for laying off right angles.

A circle; esp., a circle, or nearly circular orbit, described by the revolution of a heavenly body; an orbit. The schoolmen were like astronomers, which did feign eccentrics, and epicycles, and such engines of orbs. Bacon. You seem to me as Dian in her orb. Shak. In orbs Of circuit inexpressible they stood, Orb within…

ttended by angels and archangels. He is represented as a bearded man inclosed in a winged circle, a conception probably derived from the Assyrian representations of Ashur.

The art of sailing in a direct course, or on the arc of a great circle, which is the shortest distance between any two points on the surface of the globe; great-circle sailing; orthodromy.

The act or art of sailing on a great circle.

perpendicular to the plane of projection. Such a projection of the sphere represents its circles as seen in perspective by an eye supposed to be placed at an infinite distance, the plane of projection passing through the center of the sphere perpendicularly to the line of sight.