1. a steep-walled semicircular basin in a mountain, typically formed by glacial erosion
Usage: geology
2. a circular or oval arena surrounded by tiers of seats, especially for entertainment
Usage: architecture

Examples

• The hikers climbed to the edge of the glacial cirque.
• Snow remained in the cirque well into summer.
• The ancient cirque could seat thousands of spectators.
• Performers entertained crowds in the Roman cirque.
• The mountain cirque was carved by ice over millennia.
• The cirque’s steep walls rose dramatically above the valley.