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• cyclo
  cyclo

  noun

  (especially in Vietnam) cycle rickshaw.
• cyclo-
  cyclo-

  a combining form meaning “cycle,” used in the formation of compound words.
• cyclo.
  cyclo.

  abbreviation

  cyclopedia.

cyclo

¹ American  

[see-kloh, sahy-] / ˈsi kloʊ, saɪ- /

noun

• cyclos
  plural

1. (especially in Vietnam) cycle rickshaw.

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cyclo- ² American  

1. a combining form meaning “cycle,” used in the formation of compound words.

   cyclohexane.

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cyclo. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. cyclopedia.

2. cyclotron.

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cyclo- British  

combining form

1. indicating a circle or ring

   cyclotron

2. denoting a cyclic compound

   cyclohexane

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• cyclos
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of cyclo¹

First recorded in 1960–65; from French cyclo(-pousse), equivalent to cyclo- , combining form representing cycle “motorized or pedaled bicycle or tricycle” + pousse , apparently short for pousse-pousse “rickshaw” (reduplication of pousse, noun derivative of pousser “to move, push, shift”); see origin at cyclo-, push )

Origin of cyclo-²

< Greek kyklo-, combining form of kýklos circle, ring; cognate with Sanskrit cakra, wheel

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cyclo cyclos

A cyclo, one of Saigon's three-wheeled open taxis, suddenly materialized in the middle of the street.

From Time Magazine Archive

People are hurrying along sidewalks, newspaper vendors are getting out plastic sheeting, cyclo drivers are making for shelter.

From Time Magazine Archive

A cyclo resembles a big wheelchair attached to the front of a bicycle.

From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung

I remember her in Phnom Penh, her laugh as I bounce on her lap as we ride in a cyclo.

From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung

My favorite way to get around with Ma is the cyclo because the driver can maneuver it in the heaviest traffic.

From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung

In the 1990s, bicycles were still a primary mode of transport, and three-wheel pedicabs, called cyclos, were easy to hail.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 1, 2015

Rising prosperity brought a shift to small motorbikes, and taxis turned cyclos into a novelty for tourists.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 1, 2015

There are many bicycles and cyclos but few trucks.

From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung

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