The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
n. A steep bowl-shaped hollow occurring at the upper end of a mountain valley, especially one forming the head of a glacier or stream. Also called cwm.
n. A curved depression in a mountainside with steep walls, forming the end of a valley.
the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
n. A circle; a circus; a circular erection or arrangement of objects.
n. A kind of circular valley in the side of a mountain, walled around by precipices of great height.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
n. A circus.
n. A circle; specifically, a circle regarded as inclosing any space or surrounding any object or group of objects.
n. Same as comb.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
n. a steep-walled semicircular basin in a mountain; may contain a lake
Word Usage
"The show is distinctive from other "cirque" - style entertainment in that the dancers, jugglers, acrobats and contortionists, share the stage with a live orchestra."