cycle

American  

[sahy-kuhl] / ˈsaɪ kəl /

noun

• cycles
  plural

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

• cycling
  noun
• supercycle
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cycles
  plural

Participles

• cycling
  present
• cycled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• cycle
  simple
• cycles
  simple
• have cycled
  perfect
• has cycled
  perfect
• am cycling
  progressive
• are cycling
  progressive
• is cycling
  progressive
• have been cycling
  perfect progressive
• has been cycling
  perfect progressive

Past

• cycled
  simple
• had cycled
  perfect
• was cycling
  progressive
• were cycling
  progressive
• had been cycling
  perfect progressive

Future

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

See Examples For:

cycle cycles cycled cycling

Moreover, these gains and their effect have been “turbocharged” by the last cycle since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026

I don’t know how to break the cycle of crises needing rescues that lead to more leverage and new crises.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

Terms such as "cycle syncing" and "going luteal" have become part of everyday vocabulary for many young women.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

Hammerheads were sighted off the Southern California coast in 2015, during the last strong El Niño cycle, California State University Long Beach Shark Lab expert Chris Lowe said in an email.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026

Its editor, Jim Grant, had been prophesying doom ever since the great debt cycle began, in the mid-1980s.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

"They usually incorporate risks that are two to three years on the horizon. But climate risks... do not fit with these market cycles," they said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

It competes with established global companies such as Tesla, Waymo and WeRide, and intends to catch up with faster development cycles and increased spending on computing, engineering and driving data.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

However, as a student of market bubbles and economic cycles, Rizzo has opinions on the comparison that can be drawn with the current AI bonanza.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026

One meta-analysis found that of more than 13,500 patients who went through egg-freezing cycles, only about 10 percent returned to use those frozen eggs.

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026

Berkner suggests that there may have been cycles of oxygen production and carbon dioxide consumption, depending on relative abundances of plant and animal life, with the ice ages representing periods of apnea.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

A man cycled for about three and a half hours so he could watch Wednesday's partial eclipse through specialist viewing glasses.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

Participants who recycled, used reusable cups and containers, took public transportation, ate greener diets, or cycled to work were no less likely to support wider climate policies and collective action.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 25, 2026

His numbers dropped off last season, though, as the Browns cycled through five different quarterbacks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

"One day I cycled past this shop and I saw it was empty, and I had one of those moments."

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

“I cycled on, hid my bike, and went to sit in the car beside him for a moment,” Werner said.

From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin

If auto-start engine cycling makes you crazy, the Maverick provides a large and handy button to turn it off.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

In a statement, the Volta said it had been a "tragic day for cycling" and the race would be held in an "atmosphere of profound mourning".

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

It is not guaranteed to be operational on any given day, but has been cycling guests in recent days.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

Every couple of years, participants reported how much time they spent on strength training and aerobic exercise such as walking, cycling and swimming.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026

I could hole up in my bedroom and not talk to anyone and spend the next four days cycling through my ever-expanding repertoire of daydreams.

From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli

Related Words

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