1 [data structures] On a map, a shape defined by a connected series of unique x,y coordinate pairs. An arc may be straight or curved.
2 [data structures] A coverage feature class that represents lines and polygon boundaries. One line feature can contain many arcs. Arcs are topologically linked to nodes and to polygons. Their attributes are stored in an arc attribute table (AAT). Nodes indicate the endpoints and intersections of arcs; they do not exist as independent features. Together, the from-node and the to-node define the direction of the arc.