Relating to or resembling a circle; circular or coiled in a circular pattern.
From Latin circinalis, derived from circinus (a compass or circular tool). The root circus means circle, so circinal literally means 'of or pertaining to circles.'
In botany, circinal describes how fern fronds unfurl—they're tightly coiled like a spiral staircase, and scientists gave this specific coiling pattern a name because it's so perfectly geometric and appears across different species, suggesting nature has a blueprint for spirals.
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