Etymology Inherited from Middle English ark, from Old French arc, from Latin arcus (“a bow, arc, arch”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂erkʷos (“bow, arrow”). Doublet of arch, arco, and arrow.
Astronomy, Natural sciences That part of a circle which a heavenly body appears to pass through as it moves above and below the horizon.
2
Geometry, Mathematics, Sciences A continuous part of the circumference of a circle (circular arc) or of another curve.
The arc of a circle may be very little, but, given that, it is possible to construct the entire figure.1914, Ernest Bramah, Max Carrados:
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A curve, in general.
Swing it from side to side in a high arc overhead.
an arc of pupils around their teacher.
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A band contained within parallel curves, or something of that shape.
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A flow of current across an insulating medium; especially a hot, luminous discharge either between two electrodes or as lightning.
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Human sciences, Linguistics, Narratology, SciencesAbbreviation, Ellipsis Ellipsis of story arc.
For while most comics have designated entry points into the story in the form of arcs, Homestuck is one elaborate, self-referencing inside joke collapsed inside its own funhouse mirror reflection.2015 February 24, Lilian Min, “How the Internet Invented a New Kind of Storytelling”, in The Atlantic, archived from the original on 29 Apr 2015:
Etymology Inherited from Middle English ark, from Old French arc, from Latin arcus (“a bow, arc, arch”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂erkʷos (“bow, arrow”). Doublet of arch, arco, and arrow.
1
Ambitransitive To move following a curved path.
A warring bloodhunter detected it and skillfully arced his sword through its spinal column before it could return to follow through with its attack.2008, T. R. Elmore, Blood Ties Series, Volume 1, Tainted, Book 1, page 106:
Gatland's side got back to within striking distance when fly-half Jones's clever pass sent centre Jonathan Davies arcing round Shontayne Hape.2011 February 4, Gareth Roberts, “Wales 19-26 England”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 26 Nov 2020:
1 more example
The big wheel in the sky He arcs o'er miles and miles2024, Patricia Taxxon, “Big Wheel”, in Bicycle:
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To shape into an arc; to hold in the form of an arc.
His mother, her eyes raised to heaven, hands arked before her, moving, made real for John that patience, that endurance, that long suffering, which he had read in the Bible and found so hard to image.1953, James Baldwin, Go Tell It on the Mountain, New York, N.Y.: Knopf, →OCLC, part 1 (The Seventh Day):