circus -- (a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals; "he ran away from home to join the circus")
circus -- (a performance given by a traveling company of acrobats, clowns, and trained animals; "the children always love to go to the circus")
circus, carnival -- (a frenetic disorganized (and often comic) disturbance suggestive of a large public entertainment; "it was so funny it was a circus"; "the whole occasion had a carnival atmosphere")
circus -- ((antiquity) an open-air stadium for chariot races and gladiatorial games)
circus -- (an arena consisting of an oval or circular area enclosed by tiers of seats and usually covered by a tent; "they used the elephants to help put up the circus")