cir·cum·am·bu·late

(sûr′kəm-ăm′byə-lāt′)

tr.v. cir·cum·am·bu·lat·ed, cir·cum·am·bu·lat·ing, cir·cum·am·bu·lates

To walk around (something), especially as part of a ritual: "Circumambulate the city of a dreamy Sabbath afternoon" (Herman Melville).

cir′cum·am′bu·la′tion n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

circumambulate

(ˌsɜːkəmˈæmbjʊˌleɪt)

1. to walk around (something)

2. (intr) to avoid the point

[C17: from Late Latin circum- + ambulāre to walk]

ˌcircumˌambuˈlation n

ˌcircumˈambuˌlator n

ˌcircumˈambulatory adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

cir•cum•am•bu•late

(ˌsɜr kəmˈæm byəˌleɪt)

v.t., v.i. -lat•ed, -lat•ing.

to walk or go around, esp. ceremoniously.

[1650–60; < Late Latin circumambulātus]

cir`cum•am`bu•la′tion, n.

cir`cum•am′bu•la`tor, n.

cir`cum•am′bu•la•to`ry (-ləˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i) adj.

circumambulate

Past participle: circumambulated
Gerund: circumambulating

Imperative
circumambulate
circumambulate

Present
I circumambulate
you circumambulate
he/she/it circumambulates
we circumambulate
you circumambulate
they circumambulate

Preterite
I circumambulated
you circumambulated
he/she/it circumambulated
we circumambulated
you circumambulated
they circumambulated

Present Continuous
I am circumambulating
you are circumambulating
he/she/it is circumambulating
we are circumambulating
you are circumambulating
they are circumambulating

Present Perfect
I have circumambulated
you have circumambulated
he/she/it has circumambulated
we have circumambulated
you have circumambulated
they have circumambulated

Past Continuous
I was circumambulating
you were circumambulating
he/she/it was circumambulating
we were circumambulating
you were circumambulating
they were circumambulating

Past Perfect
I had circumambulated
you had circumambulated
he/she/it had circumambulated
we had circumambulated
you had circumambulated
they had circumambulated

Future
I will circumambulate
you will circumambulate
he/she/it will circumambulate
we will circumambulate
you will circumambulate
they will circumambulate

Future Perfect
I will have circumambulated
you will have circumambulated
he/she/it will have circumambulated
we will have circumambulated
you will have circumambulated
they will have circumambulated

Future Continuous
I will be circumambulating
you will be circumambulating
he/she/it will be circumambulating
we will be circumambulating
you will be circumambulating
they will be circumambulating

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been circumambulating
you have been circumambulating
he/she/it has been circumambulating
we have been circumambulating
you have been circumambulating
they have been circumambulating

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been circumambulating
you will have been circumambulating
he/she/it will have been circumambulating
we will have been circumambulating
you will have been circumambulating
they will have been circumambulating

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been circumambulating
you had been circumambulating
he/she/it had been circumambulating
we had been circumambulating
you had been circumambulating
they had been circumambulating

Conditional
I would circumambulate
you would circumambulate
he/she/it would circumambulate
we would circumambulate
you would circumambulate
they would circumambulate

Past Conditional
I would have circumambulated
you would have circumambulated
he/she/it would have circumambulated
we would have circumambulated
you would have circumambulated
they would have circumambulated

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Verb

circumambulate - walk around something

walk around

circle - travel around something; "circle the globe"

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

Having finished his survey of the lake, Captain Bonneville proceeded on his journey, until on the banks of the Bear River, some distance higher up, he came upon the party which he had detached a year before, to circumambulate the Great Salt Lake, and ascertain its extent, and the nature of its shores.

View in context

Circumambulate the city of a dreamy Sabbath afternoon.

View in context

I shall continue in the proper direction, if I have to circumambulate the continent of Africa to reach my destination."

View in context

This aerial photo from a helicopter shows Muslim pilgrims circumambulate the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque, durning the hajj pilgrimage in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Monday, Aug.

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Muslim pilgrims pray as they watch thousands of pilgrims circumambulate around the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Aug.

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Despite the differences in language, colour, race and nationality, All the Muslims gather at one place, supplicate only one God and circumambulate only one House.

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They will circumambulate Islam's most sacred site, the Kaaba, in the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia and take part in a series of rituals intended to bring about humility and unity among Muslims.

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In the Haram, circumambulate the throne with your heart among angels (in the heaven),as you are Circumambulating the House (Kaba).

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As they approach the Kaaba, pilgrims must circumambulate in a counter-clockwise direction, meant to express the devotion of Muslims praying to one God.

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The minister noted that he was reviewing an option to circumambulate the need to go to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout package mdash but that may mean new liabilities that Pakistan would owe to China and Saudi Arabia, its longtime partners.

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While Muslims circumambulate the Kaaba shoulder to shoulder, denominational differences become insignificant.

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