noun

• 1Geology
  A half-open steep-sided hollow at the head of a valley or on a mountainside, formed by glacial erosion.

  Also called corrie or cwm

  ‘The fourth and fifth landscape types are alpine landscapes, consisting of branching networks of troughs separated by ridges; and cirque landscapes, in which separate cirques are set in an upland massif.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘The cirque valley, which is heavily timbered, is deeply dissected by Portland Creek and its tributaries.’
  • ‘Sitting within a glacial cirque, the 17-room chalet has sweeping vistas of teal Lake McDonald - and the occasional mountain goat.’
  • ‘Broken trees are scattered everywhere; scoured paths lead up mountainsides to mysterious hidden cirques.’
  • ‘As the lava walls of the cirque crumble they expel a constant dribble onto the dirty snow below.’

• 2literary A ring, circlet, or circle.

  More example sentences

  • ‘The decoration of metal cirques and a network of patchwork cloth highlight extremely simple frocks to show off the figure.’