What does "arc" mean?
That part of a circle which a heavenly body appears to pass through as it moves above and below the horizon.
Arc
/ɑɹk/ adj, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: That part of a circle which a heavenly body appears to pass through as it moves above and below the horizon.
- Grammar: arc is listed as adj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: electric discharge, ac arc, aperiodic discharge, arc column.
- Useful contrasts: straight piece, episodic unit, flatten.
- Usage evidence: Joan of Arc refused to renounce her belief that the voice she heard was from God and none other.
How to use "arc"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "arc" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "arc" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "arc" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "arc" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "arc" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "electric discharge" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "arc", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 That part of a circle which a heavenly body appears to pass through as it moves above and below the horizon.
- 2 Acronym of advance reader's copy, a copy of a book given to a reviewer free in advance for review purposes. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of, countable, uncountable
"“One of them came up to me in a signing line and asked for a blurb,” says Jen. “Can you believe it? Title I’ve never heard of, from some small press I’ve never heard of, and she comes up to me with a bound ARC, beaming, like of course I’m going to say yes.”"
- 3 electrical conduction through a gas in an applied electric field wordnet
- 4 A continuous part of the circumference of a circle (circular arc) or of another curve.
- 5 Initialism of AIDS-related complex. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
Show 12 more definitions
- 6 a continuous portion of a circle wordnet
- 7 A curve, in general.
- 8 Acronym of automatic reference counting. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of, uncountable
- 9 something curved in shape wordnet
- 10 A band contained within parallel curves, or something of that shape.
- 11 A flow of current across an insulating medium; especially a hot, luminous discharge either between two electrodes or as lightning.
- 12 Ellipsis of story arc. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
"For while most comics have designated entry points into the story in the form of arcs, Homestuck is one elaborate, self-referencing inside joke collapsed inside its own funhouse mirror reflection."
- 13 Ellipsis of story arc.; A period or phase in a person's life. Internet, broadly
"I'm hitting the gym three times a week or more at the moment. I'm in my gym bro arc."
- 14 A continuous mapping from a real interval (typically [0, 1]) into a space.
- 15 A directed edge.
- 16 The three-point line. slang
- 17 An arclight.
"For all practical purposes the old carbon arcs, which were the backbone of film lighting, are no longer used."
Verb
- 1 To move following a curved path. ambitransitive
"A warring bloodhunter detected it and skillfully arced his sword through its spinal column before it could return to follow through with its attack."
- 2 form an arch or curve wordnet
- 3 To shape into an arc; to hold in the form of an arc. transitive
"His mother, her eyes raised to heaven, hands arked before her, moving, made real for John that patience, that endurance, that long suffering, which he had read in the Bible and found so hard to image."
- 4 To form an electrical arc. intransitive
Adjective
- 1 A ship's prefix for warships of the navy of Colombia. initialism, not-comparable
Proper Noun
- 1 Initialism of American Red Cross. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 2 The Colombian Navy (Armada de la República de Colombia).
- 3 A suggested location where the historical figure Joan of Arc, or her father, were from. historical
Synonyms
All synonyms electric dischargeac arcaperiodic dischargearc columnarc dischargearc light
Antonyms
Example
"Joan of Arc refused to renounce her belief that the voice she heard was from God and none other."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "arc"?
Common synonyms include: electric discharge, ac arc, aperiodic discharge, arc column, arc discharge, arc light.
How do you use "arc" in a sentence?
Joan of Arc refused to renounce her belief that the voice she heard was from God and none other.
How do you pronounce "arc"?
Pronounced /ɑɹk/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Inherited from Middle English ark, from Old French arc, from Latin arcus (“a bow, arc, arch”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂erkʷos (“bow, arrow”). Doublet of arch, arco, and arrow.
Etymology 2
An abbreviation.
Etymology 3
From Spanish ARC.