acyclic

[ ey-sahy-klik, ey-sik-lik ]

adjective
  1. not cyclic: an acyclic flower; acyclic compounds.

  2. Chemistry. of or relating to a compound that does not contain a closed chain or ring of atoms (contrasted with cyclic).

Origin of acyclic

1
First recorded in 1875–80; a-6 + cyclic

Words Nearby acyclic

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How to use acyclic in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for acyclic

acyclic

/ (eɪˈsaɪklɪk, eɪˈsɪklɪk) /


adjective
  1. chem not cyclic; having an open chain structure

  2. botany having flower parts arranged in a spiral rather than a whorl

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for acyclic

acyclic

[ ā-sīklĭk, ā-sĭklĭk ]


  1. Not cyclic. Used especially of flowers whose parts are arranged in spirals rather than in whorls, as in magnolias.

  2. Having an open-chain molecular structure rather than a ring-shaped structure.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.