Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun archaic The circle or compass of the arts and sciences (originally, of the seven so-called liberal arts and sciences); circle of human knowledge.
  • noun archaic An encyclopedia.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a reference work (often in several volumes) containing articles on various topics (often arranged in alphabetical order) dealing with the entire range of human knowledge or with some particular specialty

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Ancient Greek circle + the bringing up of a child, education, erudition. See cycle, and compare encyclopedia, pedagogue.

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