circumflex

 
Pronunciation: /ˈsəːkəmflɛks/

noun

  • (also circumflex accent) a mark (^) placed over a vowel in some languages to indicate contraction, length, or a particular quality.

adjective

Anatomy
  • bending round something else; curved: circumflex coronary arteries

Origin:

late 16th century: from Latin circumflexus (from circum 'around, about' + flectere 'to bend'), translating Greek perispōmenos 'drawn around'