Arc

How to spell arc

3 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce arc

What does arc mean?

1. nounA curved line, or a portion of the circumference of a circle.
2. verbTo move along a curved path.
3. nounA luminous electrical discharge that bridges a gap between two conductors.

Arc in a sentence

• noun

  The bridge was designed as a graceful arc of stone.

• verb

  The fireworks arc across the night sky before fading.

• noun

  The welder lowered his mask before striking the arc.

• noun

  The geometry exam asked us to measure the length of the arc.

• verb

  Skilled players can make the free kick arc around the wall.

• noun

  A faulty switch produced a bright blue arc inside the panel.

Where does arc come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin arcus, which named a bow used for shooting arrows and, by extension, any curved or arched shape. The same root gave Latin its words for archways and vaults, since both share that distinctive curving line. English took the word in during the 1300s through Old French arc, where it kept the geometric sense of a curved line or a portion of a circle's circumference. Over time it broadened to cover any sweeping curved path, such as the trajectory of a thrown ball, and in the nineteenth century it picked up the electrical meaning of a luminous discharge that leaps in a curved bridge between two points. The spelling trap is purely aural: arc sounds exactly like ark (Noah's vessel), so the c versus k ending is what writers must hold in mind.

How the word is built

• arc (from Latin arcus: bow, arch, curve)

Words that sound like arc

They sound the same but mean different things, so the meaning decides which spelling to write.

• ark: A sacred chest, especially the Ark of the Covenant that held the tablets of the law.