Showing results for "cycling"

• present participle of cycle.

cycling

American  

[sahy-kling] / ˈsaɪ klɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or sport of riding or traveling by bicycle, motorcycle, etc.

2. Also called bicycle race.  Also called bicycle racing.  Sports. a race on lightweight bicycles with low handlebars, conducted for specified distances or against time on a dirt or board track or over public roads between cities.

---

Etymology

Origin of cycling

First recorded in 1935–40; cycle + -ing ¹

Explanation

When you ride a bicycle, you are cycling. Sometimes, though less often, it also is used to refer to motorcycle riding. The roots of the word cycling are ancient. Both Latin and Greek have similar words that mean "circle, wheel." It's only natural, then, that a two-wheeled vehicle should be a bicycle and that cycling involves riding that vehicle. Occasionally, it can be used as a verb describing something going through a cycle, like a dishwasher cycling through.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cycling

Inside the peloton, however, the general view is that cycling is cleaner now than it has been in decades.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

Standing in front of the prime minister’s official residence, Burnham said he was acutely aware that the U.K. had been cycling through leaders at an unprecedented rate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

However, the ITA, on behalf of the UCI, has the responsibility to ensure the effectiveness of the cycling anti-doping program and the integrity of cycling races.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

Much of the harm comes from a concept that health economists like me call churn – the cycling in and out of insurance that many lower-income Americans experience.

From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026

Only the sky changes, cycling through all of its colors and shades.

From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga