small circle

noun

1. a circle on a sphere, the plane of which does not pass through the center of the sphere.

small circle

noun

1. a circular section of a sphere that does not contain the centre of the sphere Compare great circle

Word History and Origins

Origin of small circle¹

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

Why have Democrats been taking advice from the same small circle of people—who were never chosen by voters, are never accountable to them, and haven’t worked in government in decades, if ever—for more than 30 years?

From Slate

I needed enough blood to fill a small circle outlined on a piece of paper.

From Slate

Instead, my small circle of blood had 39—39!—pieces of plastic in it.

From Slate

Nichols, a Montana native, released his first solo LP, “Roger Nichols & the Small Circle of Friends,” on A&M Records in 1968.

From Los Angeles Times

Raji’s, legendary within a small circle, was a dive club in a building long since gone on Hollywood Boulevard east of Vine Street; it wasn’t the Roxy, say, or other celebrity-friendly spots around town — or for that matter, anything like “Cheers,” except in that it served as a clubhouse for the regulars.

From Los Angeles Times