To circulate means to move continuously around a path or system, often returning to where you started. Blood circulates through your body, traveling from your heart through arteries to your muscles and organs, then returning through veins back to your heart. Air circulates in a room when a fan blows it around, creating a breeze that keeps moving.

The word also describes spreading information or objects among a group of people. When you circulate a petition at school, you pass it from student to student so everyone can read and sign it. Libraries circulate books by lending them to readers, who eventually return them so others can borrow them. At a party, guests circulate by moving around the room, talking to different people instead of staying in one spot.

News and rumors circulate when they spread from person to person. A funny meme might circulate through your class, with everyone sharing it until nearly everyone has seen it. Scientists circulate their research papers so other scientists can read and build on their discoveries.

Whether it's blood, air, books, or ideas, things that circulate keep moving and spreading rather than staying still in one place.