English

Verb

square the circle ‎(third-person singular simple present squares the circle, present participle squaring the circle, simple past and past participle squared the circle)

1. (geometry) To construct a square with the same area as a given circle by using only a finite number of steps with compass and straightedge.
   • 1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, I.24:

     The problem of squaring the circle is the problem of determining the ratio of the circumference of a circle to the diameter, which is called π.

2. To solve a famously difficult or impossible problem.

Translations

See also

• square the circle on Wikipedia.Wikipedia