cirque: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal / Technical / Literary
Quick answer
What does “cirque” mean?
A steep-walled, bowl-shaped hollow in a mountain, often formed by glacial erosion.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A steep-walled, bowl-shaped hollow in a mountain, often formed by glacial erosion.
In geology, a specific landform (glacial cirque or corrie). In a literary or poetic sense, can refer to any deep, rounded hollow or natural amphitheatre.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is equally understood in both variants. The British term 'corrie' (from Scottish Gaelic) and the Welsh 'cwm' are near-synonyms more common in UK regional geography.
Connotations
Neutral and technical in both. In the US, 'cirque' is the standard geological term. In the UK, 'corrie' or 'cwm' may be more familiar in non-specialist contexts.
Frequency
Very low frequency in everyday language in both regions. Slightly higher frequency in the US as the primary technical term.
Grammar
How to Use “cirque” in a Sentence
The + [Noun] + is a cirqueA cirque + [Verb: formed, carved, contains][Glacier] + carved/formed + a cirqueVocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in geology, physical geography, and environmental science papers.
Everyday
Extremely rare; might be encountered in travel writing about mountainous regions.
Technical
Standard term in glaciology, geomorphology, and mountaineering literature.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “cirque”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “cirque”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cirque”
- Mispronouncing as /sɜːrkjuː/ (like 'circuit').
- Misspelling as 'cirq' or 'circ'.
- Using in general conversation where 'valley' or 'basin' would be more appropriate.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, both words derive from the Latin 'circus', meaning 'circle' or 'ring'. 'Cirque' entered English via French, retaining the sense of a circular shape.
Almost never in standard usage. It is a term for a natural landform. Using it for a man-made structure would be poetic or metaphorical.
A cirque is a specific, bowl-shaped, steep-sided hollow at the head of a valley or on a mountainside, often the source of a glacier. A valley is a longer, linear depression between hills or mountains.
Pronounce it like 'sirk' (/sɜːrk/ in American English, /sɜːk/ in British English). It rhymes with 'irk' and 'work', not 'circuit'.
A steep-walled, bowl-shaped hollow in a mountain, often formed by glacial erosion.
Cirque is usually formal / technical / literary in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Cirque of the [proper noun, e.g., Towers, Unclimbables] (used in names of famous mountain features)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a CIRCUS in the mountains, but the 's' is frozen into ice, leaving a CIRQUE - a round, steep-sided arena carved by a glacier.
Conceptual Metaphor
NATURAL FORM AS ARCHITECTURE (a bowl, an amphitheatre, a theatre carved by nature).
Practice
Quiz
In which field is the term 'cirque' primarily used?