[a. L. circulātor a peddler, quack, n. of agent f. circulā-ri; see CIRCULATE and -OR. (Cf. F. circulateur.)] He who or that which circulates: in various senses.
† 1. A mountebank who gathers a ring or crowd of spectators about him; a quack, charlatan.
[The old explanation of the name took circulāri as ‘to roam’ or ‘stroll about as a vagrant,’ and has sometimes affected the use of the word in Eng.]
1607. Topsell, Serpents (1653), 793. Circulators, Juglers or Quacksalvers, did cast certain mazes or small cakes to them.
1635. Heywood, Hierarch., IX. 597–8. Witches, Magitions, Circulators, juglers, &c.
1659. Gauden, Tears Ch., 200 (D.). A kind of Gipsy-Christians, or a race of Circulators, Tumblers and Juglers in the Church.
1849–52. Todd, Cycl. Anat., IV. 1064/2. The epithet ‘Circulator,’ in its Latin invidious signification, was applied to him [Harvey].
† 2. One who travels round (the world); one who travels round, or about a district, who makes his ‘rounds,’ e.g., a ‘commercial traveller.’ Obs.
1654. R. Whitlock, Ζωοτομια, 212. The … intellectual World meeting with daily and fresh Circulatours, and Discoverers, as well as this materiall World, hath with its Drakes, and Magellans.
a. 1734. North, Lives (1826), III. 294. Two or three persons, who, to make good their monopoly, send abroad their circulators, and in that manner get into their hands all that is valuable.
3. One who circulates or puts about coin, news, reports, information, etc.; esp. in bad sense, a tale-bearer, scandal-monger.
1792. Burke, Corr. (1844), IV. 31. The reports which they circulate … grow more rife than ever. I met some of the circulators.
1816. Byron, Lett. to Moore, 29 Feb. I speak of circulators.
1859. Mill, Liberty, v. (1865), 65/2. A central depository, and active circulator and diffuser, of the experience resulting from many trials.
1870. Daily News, 10 Dec., 6/4. To hand over the authors and circulators of the report to be dealt with by the proper authorities.
4. Math. A circulating decimal.
