cycle

[ sahy-kuh l ]

/ ˈsaɪ kəl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR cycle ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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

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.

any long period of years; age.

a bicycle, motorcycle, tricycle, etc.

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

Physics.

a sequence of changing states that, upon completion, produces a final state identical to the original one.
one of a succession of periodically recurring events.
a complete alteration in which a phenomenon attains a maximum and minimum value, returning to a final value equal to the original one.

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

Computers.

the smallest interval of time required to complete an operation in a computer.
a series of computer operations repeated as a unit.

verb (used without object), cy·cled, cy·cling.

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

to move or revolve in cycles; pass through cycles.

Nearby words

cyclarthrodial, cyclarthrosis, cyclas, cyclase, cyclazocine, cycle, cycle billing, cycle of erosion, cycle of indiction, cyclecar, cyclectomy

Idioms

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

Origin of cycle

1350–1400; Middle English cicle < Late Latin cyclus < Greek kýklos cycle, circle, wheel, ring, disk, orb; see wheel

Related formssu·per·cy·cle, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for cycle

It almost mirrors the Buddhist cycle of life, death, and rebirth.
The Buddhist Business of Poaching Animals for Good Karma|Brendon Hong|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Eventually, the mistletoe bush grows, blooms, and forms berries, and the cycle begins anew.
Mistletoe is the Vampire of Plants|Helen Thompson|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For Republicans, the 2016 cycle will show us whether old dogs have learned new tricks.
Now, Gay Marriage Is a GOP Problem|Marc Solomon|November 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That cycle of intelligence-gathering and capturing or killing fighters helped turn the tide of combat operations.
ISIS Keeps Getting Better at Dodging U.S. Spies|Shane Harris, Noah Shachtman|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Even Republicans who opposed a federal wage hike in this cycle were often supportive or silent about state and local increases.
To Make Their Victory Durable, the GOP Must Fix the Minimum Wage|Dmitri Mehlhorn|November 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is an ill look-out for the cycle mechanic who is not prepared to tackle the new problems that will arise.
Anticipations|Herbert George Wells
I should not have been capable of writing a billet there, much less a Cycle.
Titan: A Romance v. 1 (of 2)|Jean Paul Friedrich Richter
They compiled a calendar, in complete accord with the Metonic cycle, which modern science must declare faultless.
Jewish Literature and Other Essays|Gustav Karpeles
In this manner an opportunity was afforded to the Leinster-Munster Fenian cycle to develop into a national saga.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 5|Various
It seems a cycle since, But still the nerve of memory tingles.
A line-o'-verse or two|Bert Leston Taylor

British Dictionary definitions for cycle

cycle

/ (ˈsaɪkəl) /

noun

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

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

the time taken or needed for one such series

a vast period of time; age; aeon

a group of poems or prose narratives forming a continuous story about a central figure or eventthe Arthurian cycle

a series of miracle playsthe Chester cycle

a group or sequence of songsSee song cycle

short for bicycle, tricycle, motorcycle

astronomy the orbit of a celestial body

a recurrent series of events or processes in plants and animalsa life cycle; a growth cycle; a metabolic cycle

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

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

computing

a set of operations that can be both treated and repeated as a unit
the time required to complete a set of operations
one oscillation of the regular voltage waveform used to synchronize processes in a digital computer

(in generative grammar) the set of cyclic rules

verb

(tr) to process through a cycle or system

(intr) to move in or pass through cycles

to travel by or ride a bicycle or tricycle

Derived Formscycling, noun, adjective

Word Origin for cycle

C14: from Late Latin cyclus, from Greek kuklos cycle, circle, ring, wheel; see wheel

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

Medicine definitions for cycle

cycle

[ sī′kəl ]

n.

An interval of time during which a characteristic, often regularly repeated event or sequence of events occurs.

A single complete execution of a periodically repeated phenomenon.

A periodically repeated sequence of events.

Science definitions for cycle

cycle

[ sī′kəl ]

A single complete execution of a periodically repeated phenomenon. See also period.

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

cycle

noun

verb (used without object), cy·cled, cy·cling.

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Idioms

Origin of cycle

Examples from the Web for cycle

British Dictionary definitions for cycle

cycle

noun

verb

Word Origin for cycle

Medicine definitions for cycle

cycle

n.

Science definitions for cycle

cycle