circulate

[sur-kyuh-leyt] /ˈsɜr kyəˌleɪt/
verb (used without object), circulated, circulating.
1.
to move in a circle or circuit; move or pass through a circuit back to the starting point:
Blood circulates throughout the body.
2.
to pass from place to place, from person to person, etc.:
She circulated among her guests.
3.
to be distributed or sold, especially over a wide area.
4.
Library Science. (of books and other materials) to be available for borrowing by patrons of a library for a specified period of time.
verb (used with object), circulated, circulating.
5.
to cause to pass from place to place, person to person, etc.; disseminate; distribute:
to circulate a rumor.
6.
Library Science. to lend (books and other materials) to patrons of a library for a specified period of time.
Origin
1425-75 for earlier senses; 1665-75 for current senses; late Middle English < Latin circulātus (past participle of circulārī to gather round one, Medieval Latin circulāre to encircle), equivalent to circul(us) circle + -ātus -ate1
Related forms
circulatable, adjective
circulative
[sur-kyuh-ley-tiv, -luh-tiv] /ˈsɜr kyəˌleɪ tɪv, -lə tɪv/ (Show IPA), adjective
circulatory
[sur-kyuh-luh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] /ˈsɜr kyə ləˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i/ (Show IPA), adjective
intercirculate, verb, intercirculated, intercirculating.
noncirculating, adjective
noncirculatory, adjective
precirculate, verb, precirculated, precirculating.
recirculate, verb, recirculated, recirculating.
uncirculated, adjective
uncirculating, adjective
uncirculative, adjective
well-circulated, adjective
Synonyms
3. disperse, spread, promulgate.
Examples from the web for circulatory
  • He went to two different doctors for the swollen leg, caused by his compromised circulatory system from the cancer.
  • Far more serious is the possibility that the clot, or a piece of it, splits off and starts racing round the circulatory system.
  • Owing to circulatory problems, he has trouble walking and is blind in one eye.
  • Deft manipulation of perspective gives viewers a detailed look inside the human circulatory system.
  • They ride the flume of the circulatory system to the liver.
  • Oceans, in effect, mimic some functions of the human circulatory system.
  • circulatory systems, however, all have a certain shape: they are self-similar.
  • Fortunately, the plant's circulatory system is visible from the outside.
  • Bioengineers grow a circulatory system on silicon.
  • In either case, prolonged exposure to high blood sugar levels can cause circulatory problems and nerve damage.
British Dictionary definitions for circulatory

circulate

/ˈsɜːkjʊˌleɪt/
verb
1.
to send, go, or pass from place to place or person to person: don't circulate the news
2.
to distribute or be distributed over a wide area
3.
to move or cause to move through a circuit, system, etc, returning to the starting point: blood circulates through the body
4.
to move in a circle: the earth circulates around the sun
Derived Forms
circulative, adjective
circulator, noun
circulatory, adjective
Word Origin
C15: from Latin circulārī to assemble in a circle, from circuluscircle
Word Origin and History for circulatory
adj.

c.1600, of blood, from French circulatoire or directly from Latin circulatorius, from circulator, agent noun from circulare (see circulate). Circulatory system is recorded from 1862.

circulate

v.

1540s (late 15c. as a past participle adjective), as a chemical term for alternating vaporization and condensation, from Latin circulatus, past participle of circulare "to form a circle," from circulus (see circle (n.)). Meaning "to move around, revolve" is from 1670s; of blood, from 1650s; of persons, "to mingle in a social gathering," from 1863. Sense of "to pass about freely" is from 1660s; of newspapers from 1885. Related: Circulated; circulating.

circulatory in Medicine

circulatory cir·cu·la·to·ry (sûr'kyə-lə-tôr'ē)
n.

  1. Relating to circulation.

  2. Relating to the circulatory system.

circulatory in Science
circulate
  (sûr'kyə-lāt')   
To move in or flow through a circle or a circuit. Blood circulates through the body as it flows out from the heart to the tissues and back again.