"square the circle" meaning in All languages combined

See square the circle on Wiktionary

Verb [English]

Forms: squares the circle [present, singular, third-person], squaring the circle [participle, present], squared the circle [participle, past], squared the circle [past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|*}} square the circle (third-person singular simple present squares the circle, present participle squaring the circle, simple past and past participle squared the circle)
  1. (geometry) To construct a square with the same area as a given circle by using only a finite number of steps with compass and straightedge, a task which is mathematically impossible. Categories (topical): Geometry, Circle, History of science Related terms: squircle, square peg in a round hole (english: semantic overlap regarding a difficult problem) Translations (to construct a square with the same area as a circle): رَبَّعَ الدائِرة (rabbaʕa d-dāʔira) (Arabic), neliöidä ympyrä (Finnish), den Kreis quadrieren (German), τετραγωνίζω τον κύκλο (tetragonízo ton kýklo) (Greek), kört négyszögesít (Hungarian), trovare la quadratura del cerchio (Italian), robić kwadraturę koła [imperfective] (Polish), zrobić kwadraturę koła [perfective] (Polish)
    Sense id: en-square_the_circle-en-verb-ZduBsgYO Disambiguation of Circle: 94 6 Disambiguation of History of science: 100 0 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Arabic translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Greek translations, Terms with Hungarian translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Spanish translations, Terms with Walloon translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 89 11 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 87 13 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 87 13 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 91 9 Disambiguation of Terms with Arabic translations: 89 11 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 88 12 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 84 16 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 87 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Greek translations: 84 16 Disambiguation of Terms with Hungarian translations: 88 12 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 89 11 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 83 17 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 89 11 Disambiguation of Terms with Walloon translations: 88 12 Topics: geometry, mathematics, sciences Disambiguation of 'to construct a square with the same area as a circle': 97 3
  2. (figurative) To solve a famously difficult or impossible problem. Tags: figuratively Translations (to solve a difficult problem): neliöidä ympyrä (Finnish), trouver la quadrature du cercle (French), die Quadratur des Kreises finden (German), τετραγωνίζω τον κύκλο (tetragonízo ton kýklo) (Greek), kört négyszögesít (Hungarian), trovare la quadratura del cerchio (Italian), rozwiązywać zagadkę [imperfective] (Polish), rozwiązać zagadkę [perfective] (Polish), hallar la cuadratura del círculo (Spanish), trover ene pire k' est ronde et plate et cwårêye (Walloon)
    Sense id: en-square_the_circle-en-verb-EF0sOisV Disambiguation of 'to solve a difficult problem': 9 91

Inflected forms

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "squares the circle",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "squaring the circle",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "squared the circle",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "squared the circle",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "square the circle (third-person singular simple present squares the circle, present participle squaring the circle, simple past and past participle squared the circle)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Geometry",
          "orig": "en:Geometry",
          "parents": [
            "Mathematics",
            "Formal sciences",
            "Sciences",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "89 11",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "87 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "87 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "91 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "89 11",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Arabic translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "88 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "84 16",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "87 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "84 16",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Greek translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "88 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Hungarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "89 11",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "83 17",
          "kind": "other",
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        {
          "_dis": "89 11",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "88 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Walloon translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "94 6",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Circle",
          "orig": "en:Circle",
          "parents": [
            "Curves",
            "Shapes",
            "Geometry",
            "Mathematics",
            "Formal sciences",
            "Sciences",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "100 0",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "History of science",
          "orig": "en:History of science",
          "parents": [
            "History",
            "Sciences",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, I.24:",
          "text": "The problem of squaring the circle is the problem of determining the ratio of the circumference of a circle to the diameter, which is called π.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To construct a square with the same area as a given circle by using only a finite number of steps with compass and straightedge, a task which is mathematically impossible."
      ],
      "id": "en-square_the_circle-en-verb-ZduBsgYO",
      "links": [
        [
          "geometry",
          "geometry"
        ],
        [
          "construct",
          "construct"
        ],
        [
          "square",
          "square"
        ],
        [
          "compass",
          "compass"
        ],
        [
          "straightedge",
          "straightedge"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(geometry) To construct a square with the same area as a given circle by using only a finite number of steps with compass and straightedge, a task which is mathematically impossible."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "word": "squircle"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "english": "semantic overlap regarding a difficult problem",
          "word": "square peg in a round hole"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        "geometry",
        "mathematics",
        "sciences"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "ar",
          "lang": "Arabic",
          "roman": "rabbaʕa d-dāʔira",
          "sense": "to construct a square with the same area as a circle",
          "word": "رَبَّعَ الدائِرة"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to construct a square with the same area as a circle",
          "word": "neliöidä ympyrä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to construct a square with the same area as a circle",
          "word": "den Kreis quadrieren"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "tetragonízo ton kýklo",
          "sense": "to construct a square with the same area as a circle",
          "word": "τετραγωνίζω τον κύκλο"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to construct a square with the same area as a circle",
          "word": "kört négyszögesít"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to construct a square with the same area as a circle",
          "word": "trovare la quadratura del cerchio"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to construct a square with the same area as a circle",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "robić kwadraturę koła"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to construct a square with the same area as a circle",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "zrobić kwadraturę koła"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "To solve a famously difficult or impossible problem."
      ],
      "id": "en-square_the_circle-en-verb-EF0sOisV",
      "links": [
        [
          "solve",
          "solve"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figurative) To solve a famously difficult or impossible problem."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "9 91",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to solve a difficult problem",
          "word": "neliöidä ympyrä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 91",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to solve a difficult problem",
          "word": "trouver la quadrature du cercle"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 91",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to solve a difficult problem",
          "word": "die Quadratur des Kreises finden"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 91",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "tetragonízo ton kýklo",
          "sense": "to solve a difficult problem",
          "word": "τετραγωνίζω τον κύκλο"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 91",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to solve a difficult problem",
          "word": "kört négyszögesít"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 91",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to solve a difficult problem",
          "word": "trovare la quadratura del cerchio"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 91",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to solve a difficult problem",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "rozwiązywać zagadkę"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 91",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to solve a difficult problem",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "rozwiązać zagadkę"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 91",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to solve a difficult problem",
          "word": "hallar la cuadratura del círculo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 91",
          "code": "wa",
          "lang": "Walloon",
          "sense": "to solve a difficult problem",
          "word": "trover ene pire k' est ronde et plate et cwårêye"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "square the circle"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Arabic translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Greek translations",
    "Terms with Hungarian translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "Terms with Walloon translations",
    "en:Circle",
    "en:History of science"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "squares the circle",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "squaring the circle",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "squared the circle",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "squared the circle",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "square the circle (third-person singular simple present squares the circle, present participle squaring the circle, simple past and past participle squared the circle)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "squircle"
    },
    {
      "english": "semantic overlap regarding a difficult problem",
      "word": "square peg in a round hole"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned",
        "en:Geometry"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, I.24:",
          "text": "The problem of squaring the circle is the problem of determining the ratio of the circumference of a circle to the diameter, which is called π.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
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        "To construct a square with the same area as a given circle by using only a finite number of steps with compass and straightedge, a task which is mathematically impossible."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "geometry",
          "geometry"
        ],
        [
          "construct",
          "construct"
        ],
        [
          "square",
          "square"
        ],
        [
          "compass",
          "compass"
        ],
        [
          "straightedge",
          "straightedge"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(geometry) To construct a square with the same area as a given circle by using only a finite number of steps with compass and straightedge, a task which is mathematically impossible."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "geometry",
        "mathematics",
        "sciences"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "To solve a famously difficult or impossible problem."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "solve",
          "solve"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figurative) To solve a famously difficult or impossible problem."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ar",
      "lang": "Arabic",
      "roman": "rabbaʕa d-dāʔira",
      "sense": "to construct a square with the same area as a circle",
      "word": "رَبَّعَ الدائِرة"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to construct a square with the same area as a circle",
      "word": "neliöidä ympyrä"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to construct a square with the same area as a circle",
      "word": "den Kreis quadrieren"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "tetragonízo ton kýklo",
      "sense": "to construct a square with the same area as a circle",
      "word": "τετραγωνίζω τον κύκλο"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to construct a square with the same area as a circle",
      "word": "kört négyszögesít"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to construct a square with the same area as a circle",
      "word": "trovare la quadratura del cerchio"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to construct a square with the same area as a circle",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "robić kwadraturę koła"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to construct a square with the same area as a circle",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "zrobić kwadraturę koła"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to solve a difficult problem",
      "word": "neliöidä ympyrä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to solve a difficult problem",
      "word": "trouver la quadrature du cercle"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to solve a difficult problem",
      "word": "die Quadratur des Kreises finden"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "tetragonízo ton kýklo",
      "sense": "to solve a difficult problem",
      "word": "τετραγωνίζω τον κύκλο"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to solve a difficult problem",
      "word": "kört négyszögesít"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to solve a difficult problem",
      "word": "trovare la quadratura del cerchio"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to solve a difficult problem",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "rozwiązywać zagadkę"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to solve a difficult problem",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "rozwiązać zagadkę"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to solve a difficult problem",
      "word": "hallar la cuadratura del círculo"
    },
    {
      "code": "wa",
      "lang": "Walloon",
      "sense": "to solve a difficult problem",
      "word": "trover ene pire k' est ronde et plate et cwårêye"
    }
  ],
  "word": "square the circle"
}

Download raw JSONL data for square the circle meaning in All languages combined (4.9kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-02-15 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-02-02 using wiktextract (ca09fec and c40eb85). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.