polycyclic

American

[pol-ee-sahy-klik, -sik-lik] / ˌpɒl iˈsaɪ klɪk, -ˈsɪk lɪk /

adjective

Chemistry.

pertaining to an organic compound containing several atomic rings, usually fused.

polycyclic British

/ ˌpɒlɪˈsaɪklɪk /

adjective

(of a molecule or compound) containing or having molecules that contain two or more closed rings of atoms
biology having two or more rings or whorls

polycyclic shells
a polycyclic stele

"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

noun

a polycyclic compound

anthracene is a polycyclic

"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

polycyclic Scientific

/ pŏl′ĭ-sī′klĭk,-sĭk′lĭk /

Having two or more atomic rings in a molecule. Steroids are polycyclic compounds.

Etymology

Origin of polycyclic

First recorded in 1865–70; poly- + cyclic

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from motor vehicle exhaust, residential heating, oil refining, charbroiled foods and cigarette smoke are obesogens.

From US News • May 1, 2015

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, from motorbikes and other vehicles are caused by incomplete combustion.

From Scientific American • Mar. 17, 2014

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023