circus

1. a travelling company of acrobats, clowns, and other entertainers which gives performances, typically in a large tent, in a series of different places.

   I was thrilled by the annual visits of the circus

   a circus elephant

2. (in ancient Rome) a rounded or oval arena lined with tiers of seats, used for equestrian and other sports and games.

   the Circus Maximus

3. a rounded open space in a town or city where several streets converge.

   Piccadilly Circus

late Middle English (with reference to the arena of Roman antiquity): from Latin, ‘ring or circus’. The sense ‘travelling company of performers’ dates from the late 18th century.