cycle

American  

[sahy-kuhl] / ˈsaɪ kəl /

noun

1. any complete round or series of occurrences that repeats or is repeated.

2. a round of years or a recurring period of time, especially one in which certain events or phenomena repeat themselves in the same order and at the same intervals.

3. any long period of years; age.

4. a bicycle, motorcycle, tricycle, etc.

5. a group of poems, dramas, prose narratives, songs etc., about a central theme, figure, or the like.

   the Arthurian cycle.

6. Physics.

   1. a sequence of changing states that, upon completion, produces a final state identical to the original one.

   2. one of a succession of periodically recurring events.

   3. a complete alteration in which a phenomenon attains a maximum and minimum value, returning to a final value equal to the original one.

7. Mathematics. a permutation of a set of elements that leaves the original cyclic order of the elements unchanged.

8. Computers.

   1. the smallest interval of time required to complete an operation in a computer.

   2. a series of computer operations repeated as a unit.

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verb (used without object)

cycles, present (3rd person singular) cycled, past participle, past cycling present participle

1. to ride or travel by bicycle, motorcycle, tricycle, etc.

2. to move or revolve in cycles; pass through cycles.

idioms

1. hit for the cycle, (of one player) to hit a single, double, triple, and home run in one game.

cycle British  

/ ˈsaɪkəl /

noun

1. a recurring period of time in which certain events or phenomena occur and reach completion or repeat themselves in a regular sequence

2. a completed series of events that follows or is followed by another series of similar events occurring in the same sequence

3. the time taken or needed for one such series

4. a vast period of time; age; aeon

5. a group of poems or prose narratives forming a continuous story about a central figure or event

   the Arthurian cycle

6. a series of miracle plays

   the Chester cycle

7. a group or sequence of songs See song cycle

8. short for bicycle tricycle motorcycle

9. astronomy the orbit of a celestial body

10. a recurrent series of events or processes in plants and animals

    a life cycle

    a growth cycle

    a metabolic cycle

11. physics a continuous change or a sequence of changes in the state of a system that leads to the restoration of the system to its original state after a finite period of time

12. one of a series of repeated changes in the magnitude of a periodically varying quantity, such as current or voltage

13. computing

    1. a set of operations that can be both treated and repeated as a unit

    2. the time required to complete a set of operations

    3. one oscillation of the regular voltage waveform used to synchronize processes in a digital computer

14. (in generative grammar) the set of cyclic rules

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verb

1. (tr) to process through a cycle or system

2. (intr) to move in or pass through cycles

3. to travel by or ride a bicycle or tricycle

cycle Scientific  

/ sī′kəl /

1. A single complete execution of a periodically repeated phenomenon.

2. See also period

3. A circular or whorled arrangement of flower parts such as those of petals or stamens.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• supercycle
  noun
• cycling
  noun

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has cycled
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have cycled
  perfect
• has been cycling
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• have been cycling
  perfect progressive
• am cycling
  progressive 1st person singular
• is cycling
  progressive 3rd person singular
• are cycling
  progressive
• cycling
  participle
• cycles
  singular 3rd person

Past

• had cycled
  perfect
• was cycling
  progressive singular
• had been cycling
  perfect progressive
• cycled
  participle
• were cycling
  progressive plural
• cycled
  simple

Future

• will cycle
  simple
• will have cycled
  perfect
• will have been cycling
  perfect progressive
• will be cycling
  progressive

Etymology

Origin of cycle

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English cicle, from Late Latin cyclus, from Greek kýklos “cycle, circle, wheel, ring, disk, orb”; see also wheel

Explanation

A cycle is a series of events that happen repeatedly in the same order. Or, it is a slang term for a bicycle. If you ride a cycle to work, we suggest putting your clothes through the wash cycle twice — or wear strong cologne. We get cycle from Latin cyclus and Greek kuklos, both meaning "circle." So you can see where bi- (two) and tri- (three) + cycle got their names. Nowadays, cycle can be a verb or a noun: You can ride a cycle or you can cycle to the park. The same holds true when you’re talking about a sequence of repeating events: The seasons cycle through spring, summer, fall, and winter. The plant life cycle goes from seed to flower to seed dispersal.

Example Sentences

To define interest-rate cycles we used the federal-funds rate and defined a cycle as any one where interest rates were going in a particular direction over a six-month period.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

He stressed that the cycle often makes mistakes and speaks to the timing and direction of turns rather than their magnitude.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026

When the Federal Reserve initiated its rate-hiking cycle in March 2022, the consumer price index measured 7.9% for the 12 months ended in February.

From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026

To interrupt this cycle, the researchers designed and tested several experimental compounds in cell cultures and mice.

From Science Daily • Jun. 8, 2026

She saw William slip into another cycle of sleepless nights, anxiety, and depression.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Related Words

• course
• period
• revolution
• rhythm
• round
• series