circuiting

1. 1
   verbobsolete

   Present participle and gerund of circuit.

   The satellite kept circuiting the planet at a fixed altitude.

   Circuiting the old town walls takes nearly an hour on foot.

   Note

   A form built on a verb that is now rare in its own right: both of its senses, moving in a circle and traveling around a place, are obsolete. Used without an object, it means simply going round. With an object, it names the thing gone round, as in circuiting the walls. The same spelling also serves as the countable noun, which takes a plural, circuitings.

2. 2
   noununcountable

   Movement that follows a winding, indirect path rather than a direct route.

   Like a river meandering across a plain instead of flowing straight to the sea.

   The constant circuiting of the dancers around the floor made him dizzy.

   Her slow circuiting of the gallery let her study every painting twice.

   Similarcircling, meandering, wandering

   Note

   Unlike many -ing nouns, this one counts. A single going-round is a circuiting, and several are circuitings, as in seven circuitings around the altar. It pairs naturally with around or of to name what is circled. The altar phrase shows the use it suits best: a deliberate, repeated going-round of one place rather than a single trip from one point to another.

Showing meanings only. Show all 2