圆上的一条弦把圆分割成两部分，所得的两部分都称为弓形，因它们的形状似弓而得名。

弓形是一个非正式用语。如没有特别指明，弓形通常指的是加上弦后面积不包含圆心的那一部分。面积比较大的部分称为优弓形，而另一部分则称为劣弓形。

In geometry, a circular segment (symbol: ⌓) is a region of a circle which is "cut off" from the rest of the circle by a secant or a chord. More formally, a circular segment is a region of two-dimensional space that is bounded by an arc (of less than 180°) of a circle and by the chord connecting the endpoints of the arc.