circumflex
/ˈsɜrkəmflɛks/
adjective
- Having the shape of a circumflex; curved upward like a caret (ˆ).
- The circumflex shape of the roof helped rainwater drain off quickly.
- The circumflex artery in the heart curves around to supply blood to the back of the organ.
- The leaf had a circumflex vein pattern that made it easy to identify.
noun
- A mark (ˆ) placed over a vowel in some languages to show a special pronunciation, such as a longer sound or a change in tone.
- The circumflex can change the meaning of a word in some languages, like 'du' versus 'dû' in French.
- In French, the circumflex over the 'o' in 'hôtel' tells you that an 's' used to be there.
- When learning Portuguese, you will see the circumflex on vowels like 'ê' and 'ô' to indicate a closed sound.
- A curved line or shape that resembles the circumflex accent mark.
- The bird's wing had a dark circumflex pattern near the tip.
- The artist drew a graceful circumflex above the letter in the calligraphy piece.
- The road made a sharp circumflex around the mountain before heading north.