arc
a curved line or path
A curved line or path, like part of a circle.
an arc of [something]; [something] moves in an arc
- The ball rose in a high arc over the goalkeeper.
- The bird's wings traced a perfect arc across the sky.
- A rainbow formed a bright arc above the mountains.
- The knife moved in a slow arc as she chopped the herbs.
- The ball flew in an arc across the field.
- We looked at the bright arc of the rainbow.
- The dancer moved her arm in a smooth arc.
- The plane made a wide arc in the sky.
overall direction of a story
The main line of a story or character, from the beginning to the end.
the [story/character/narrative] arc of [something]
- The series has a strong story arc that builds across all ten episodes.
- Fans loved the character arc that turned him from a villain into a hero.
- The movie's narrative arc felt rushed in the final act.
- Writers spent weeks planning the season-long arc for the show.
- The story arc is simple but powerful.
- Her character arc shows how she becomes brave.
- The show has a long story arc across five seasons.
- We talked about the hero's arc in the film.
overall direction of change over time
The way something slowly changes over time, seen as one long movement.
the arc of [someone/something]
- The arc of his career has been steadily upward.
- The book examines the long arc of civil rights in the country.
- Over the arc of her life, she moved from poverty to great influence.
- Politicians often talk about bending the arc of history toward justice.
- We looked at the arc of his career over thirty years.
- The film shows the arc of her life from child to old woman.
- Over the arc of history, ideas about freedom have changed.
- The arc of the project went from hope to failure.
to move in a curved path
To move or go in a curved line, not straight.
[something] arcs over/across [something]; [something] arcs through [place]
- The firework arced across the night sky before exploding.
- A fountain of water arced over the path and into the pond.
- He arced the ball perfectly into the net.
- The bridge arcs gently over the river.
- The ball arced over the wall and into the goal.
- The bird arced across the blue sky.
- Water arced from the hose into the garden.
- The road arcs around the lake.
visible electric discharge between conductors
A bright line of electricity that jumps through the air between two pieces of metal when the voltage is high.
an arc between [two conductors]; an electric arc in [device]
- An electric arc jumped between the two wires and lit up the room.
- Arc welding uses an electric arc to melt and join metals.
- A sudden arc flash damaged the equipment and triggered the safety system.
- The old projector used a carbon arc lamp as its light source.
- The machine made a bright arc between the metal parts.
- In arc welding, an electric arc melts the metal.
- An electric arc can be very hot and dangerous.
- The engineer saw an arc and turned off the power.
part of a circle's edge
In math, a piece of the outside line of a circle between two points.
an arc of a circle; the arc AB
- Find the length of the arc AB on the circle.
- The minor arc is shorter than the major arc between the same two points.
- Use a compass to draw an arc with radius five centimeters.
- The central angle determines the size of the circle's arc.
- In this problem, we must find the length of the arc.
- The arc is only part of the circle.
- We use a compass to draw an arc on the paper.
- The teacher showed the arc between points A and B.
- Base: arc
- Plural: arcs
- Base: arc
- 3rd Person Singular: arcs
- Present Participle: arcing, arcking
- Past: arced, arcked
- Past Participle: arced, arcked
arc welding
1welding using an electric arc
A way of joining metal by using a strong electric arc to melt it.
- He took a course in arc welding at the technical college.
- Arc welding requires special safety equipment because of the intense light.
- The factory uses arc welding to build steel frames.
career arc
1overall pattern of a career
The way a person's job life changes from the start to the end.
- In the third act of his career arc, he moved into teaching.
- The documentary follows the career arc of the famous singer.
- Her career arc shows a steady rise from intern to CEO.
character arc
1development of a character over time
How a character slowly changes in a story, from the beginning to the end.
- Her character arc from coward to hero feels believable.
- The film fails because the main character arc is not clear.
- Writers focused on giving each hero a strong character arc.
story arc
1overall plot of a story
The big story line that connects all parts of a book, film, or series.
- The show's story arc keeps viewers interested from week to week.
- The movie has a simple story arc that is easy to follow.
- Writers are still planning the story arc for the next season.
the arc of history
1long-term direction of history
The way history slowly moves and changes over a long time.
- Leaders often talk about bending the arc of history toward justice.
- The book looks at the arc of history in the twentieth century.
- Some people believe the arc of history points toward greater freedom.
narrative arc
1overall shape of a story
The way a story grows and changes from the start, through the main problem, to the end.
- The documentary has a clear narrative arc from crisis to resolution.
- The series has a strong narrative arc across all ten episodes.
- We analyzed the narrative arc of the novel in class.
- Writers often draw a simple curve to plan the narrative arc of their story.
- A good narrative arc usually has a beginning, a middle, and an end.
redemption arc
1character’s journey to make amends
In a story, the part where a bad or failed character changes and becomes good or respected again.
- Fans were disappointed that the villain never got a proper redemption arc.
- Fans loved the villain’s redemption arc in the final season.
- The film gives the former criminal a powerful redemption arc.
- The movie gives the main character a powerful redemption arc after his early mistakes.
- Writers added a redemption arc to make the character more likable.
- Writers debated whether the character even needed a redemption arc.