half-circle
1. The half of a circle; a semicircle.
| 1552 Huloet, Halfe circle, semicirculus. 1559 W. Cuningham Cosmogr. Glasse 126 Describe in th' intersections in like maner, halfe circles. 1661 J. Childrey Brit. Baconica 104 A double course of half circles. 1878 Newcomb Pop. Astron. iii. iii. 299 A little more than a half-circle. |
2. attrib. (See quots.)
| 1853 Stocqueler Milit. Encycl., Half-circle guard, in fencing, is one of the guards used with the broadsword to parry an inside cut below the wrist. Ibid., Half-circle parade, is a parade of the small sword, used against the thrust in low carte. |
So half-ˈcircular a., semicircular.
| a 1847 Mrs. Sherwood Life ii. 19 The half-circular window over the hall-door. |