Adjacent Words

Cycle definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CYCLE, n. [Gr. L., an orb or circle.]
1. In chronology, a period or series of numbers, which regularly proceed from first to last, and then return to the first, in a perpetual circle. Hence,
2. The cycle of the moon, or golden number, or Metonic cycle, so called from its inventor Meton, is a period of nineteen years, which being completed, the new and full moons return on the same days of the month.
3. The cycle of the sun, is a period of twenty eight years, which having elapsed, the dominical or Sunday letters return to their former place, and proceed in the former order, according to the Julian calendar.
4. Cycle of indiction, a period of fifteen years, at the end of which the Roman emperors imposed an extraordinary tax, to pay the soldiers who were obliged to serve in the army for that period and no longer.
5. A round of years, or period of time, in which the same course begins again; a periodical space of time.
6. An imaginary orb or circle in the heavens.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: an interval during which a recurring sequence of events occurs; "the never-ending cycle of the seasons" [syn: cycle, rhythm, round]
2: a series of poems or songs on the same theme; "Schubert's song cycles"
3: a periodically repeated sequence of events; "a cycle of reprisal and retaliation"
4: the unit of frequency; one hertz has a periodic interval of one second [syn: hertz, Hz, cycle per second, cycles/second, cps, cycle]
5: a single complete execution of a periodically repeated phenomenon; "a year constitutes a cycle of the seasons" [syn: cycle, oscillation]
6: a wheeled vehicle that has two wheels and is moved by foot pedals [syn: bicycle, bike, wheel, cycle] v
1: cause to go through a recurring sequence; "cycle the laundry in this washing program"
2: pass through a cycle; "This machine automatically cycles"
3: ride a motorcycle [syn: motorbike, motorcycle, cycle]
4: ride a bicycle [syn: bicycle, cycle, bike, pedal, wheel]
5: recur in repeating sequences

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English cicle, from Late Latin cyclus, from Greek kyklos circle, wheel, cycle — more at wheel Date: 14th century 1. an interval of time during which a sequence of a recurring succession of events or phenomena is completed <a 4-year cycle of growth and development> 2. a. a course or series of events or operations that recur regularly and usually lead back to the starting point b. one complete performance of a vibration, electric oscillation, current alternation, or other periodic process c. a permutation of a set of ordered elements in which each element takes the place of the next and the last becomes first d. a takeoff and landing of an airplane 3. a circular or spiral arrangement: as a. an imaginary circle or orbit in the heavens b. ring 10 4. a long period of time ; age 5. a. a group of creative works (as poems, plays, or songs) treating the same theme b. a series of narratives dealing typically with the exploits of a legendary hero <the Arthurian cycle> 6. a. bicycle b. tricycle c. motorcycle 7. the series of a single, double, triple, and home run hit in any order by one player during one baseball game II. verb (cycled; cycling) Date: 1842 intransitive verb 1. a. to pass through a cycle b. to recur in cycles 2. to ride a cycle; specifically bicycle transitive verb to cause to go through a cycle • cycler noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a a recurrent round or period (of events, phenomena, etc.). b the time needed for one such round or period. 2 a Physics etc. a recurrent series of operations or states. b Electr. = HERTZ. 3 a series of songs, poems, etc., usu. on a single theme. 4 a bicycle, tricycle, or similar machine. --v.intr. 1 ride a bicycle etc. 2 move in cycles. Phrases and idioms: cycle-track (or -way) a path or road for bicycles. Etymology: ME f. OF, or f. LL cyclus f. Gk kuklos circle

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Cycle Cy"cle, n. (a) (Thermodynamics) A series of operations in which heat is imparted to (or taken away from) a working substance which by its expansion gives up a part of its internal energy in the form of mechanical work (or being compressed increases its internal energy) and is again brought back to its original state. (b) (Elec.) A complete positive and negative wave of an alternating current; one period. The number of cycles (per second) is a measure of the frequency of an alternating current.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Cycle Cy"cle (s?"k'l), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Cycled. (-k'ld); p. pr. & vb. n. Cycling (-kl?ng).] 1. To pass through a cycle of changes; to recur in cycles. --Tennyson. Darwin. 2. To ride a bicycle, tricycle, or other form of cycle.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Cycle Cy"cle (s?"k'l), n. [F. ycle, LL. cyclus, fr. Gr. ky`klos ring or circle, cycle; akin to Skr. cakra wheel, circle. See Wheel.] 1. An imaginary circle or orbit in the heavens; one of the celestial spheres. --Milton. 2. An interval of time in which a certain succession of events or phenomena is completed, and then returns again and again, uniformly and continually in the same order; a periodical space of time marked by the recurrence of something peculiar; as, the cycle of the seasons, or of the year. Wages . . . bear a full proportion . . . to the medium of provision during the last bad cycle of twenty years. --Burke. 3. An age; a long period of time. Better fifty years of Europe than a cycle of Cathay. --Tennyson. 4. An orderly list for a given time; a calendar. [Obs.] We . . . present our gardeners with a complete cycle of what is requisite to be done throughout every month of the year. --Evelyn. 5. The circle of subjects connected with the exploits of the hero or heroes of some particular period which have served as a popular theme for poetry, as the legend of Arthur and the knights of the Round Table, and that of Charlemagne and his paladins. 6. (Bot.) One entire round in a circle or a spire; as, a cycle or set of leaves. --Gray. 7. A bicycle or tricycle, or other light velocipede. Calippic cycle, a period of 76 years, or four Metonic cycles; -- so called from Calippus, who proposed it as an improvement on the Metonic cycle. Cycle of eclipses, a period of about 6,586 days, the time of revolution of the moon's node; -- called Saros by the Chaldeans.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(cycles, cycling, cycled) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. If you cycle, you ride a bicycle. He cycled to Ingwold... Britain could save £4.6 billion a year in road transport costs if more people cycled... Over 1000 riders cycled 100 miles around the Vale of York. VERB: V prep/adv, V, V n • cycling The quiet country roads are ideal for cycling. N-UNCOUNT 2. A cycle is a bicycle. ...an eight-mile cycle ride. N-COUNT 3. A cycle is a motorcycle. (AM) N-COUNT 4. A cycle is a series of events or processes that is repeated again and again, always in the same order. ...the life cycle of the plant... N-COUNT: usu with supp, oft N of n 5. A cycle is a single complete series of movements in an electrical, electronic, or mechanical process. ...10 cycles per second. N-COUNT: usu pl

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Period, circle of time, revolution of time, round of years.

Moby Thesaurus

AC, AF, CPS, DC, EHF, HF, Hz, Indian file, Kekule formula, MF, O, Platonic year, RF, SHF, UHF, VHF, VLF, absorption current, active current, aeon, age, alternate, alternating current, ambit, annular muscle, annulus, annus magnus, areola, array, arsis, articulation, atomic cluster, audio frequency, aureole, bank, be here again, beat, benzene ring, bicycle, bicycle-built-for-two, bike, bout, branched chain, bus, buzz, carrier frequency, catch a train, catena, catenation, chain, chain reaction, chaining, chaplet, chauffeur, chopper, circle, circuit, circuiteer, circulate, circumambulate, circumference, circummigrate, circumnavigate, circumvent, circus, close the circle, closed chain, closed circle, come again, come and go, come around, come full circle, come round, come round again, come up again, compass, compound radical, concatenation, conduction current, connection, consecution, continuum, convection current, corona, coronet, course, crown, cycle of indiction, cycles, date, day, delta current, descent, describe a circle, diadem, diastole, dielectric displacement current, direct current, discus, disk, displacement current, downbeat, drive, drone, eddy current, electric current, electric stream, emission current, encircle, encompass, endless belt, endless round, entrain, eternal return, exciting current, extremely high frequency, fairy ring, file, filiation, flank, free alternating current, frequency, frequency spectrum, full circle, galvanic current, gamut, garland, generation, girdle, girdle the globe, glory, go about, go around, go by rail, go round, go the round, gradation, great year, gyre, halo, hertz, heterocycle, high frequency, high-frequency current, homocycle, hum, idle current, indiction, induced current, induction current, intermediate frequency, intermit, ionization current, iron, joyride, juice, kilocycles, kilohertz, lap, lasso, lattice, line, lineage, logical circle, loop, looplet, low frequency, low-frequency current, lower frequencies, magic circle, magnetizing current, make a circuit, make a train, medium frequency, megacycles, megahertz, minibike, molecule, monocycle, monotone, motocycle, motor, motorbike, motorcycle, multiphase current, nexus, noose, orbit, oscillate, pattern, pedal, pedicab, pendulum, periodicity, pig, plenum, powder train, progression, pulsate, pulsating direct current, pulse, queue, radical, radio frequency, radius, range, rank, reactive current, reappear, recur, recurrence, recycle, reoccur, repeat, reticulation, return, revolution, revolve, ride, ring, road-bike, roll around, rondelle, rotary current, rotate, rotation, round, round trip, roundel, rounds, routine, row, run, saucer, scale, scooter, sequel, sequence, series, side chain, sidewalk bike, simple radical, single file, single-phase alternating current, skirt, space-lattice, spark frequency, spectrum, spell, sphincter, spiral, straight chain, stray current, string, succession, superhigh frequency, surround, swath, systole, take a joyride, tandem, taxi, thermionic current, thermoelectric current, thesis, thread, three-phase alternating current, tier, time, tour, trail bike, train, tricycle, trike, turn, two-wheeler, ultrahigh frequency, undulate, upbeat, upper frequencies, velocipede, very high frequency, very low frequency, vicious circle, voltaic current, walk, watt current, wheel, wheel around, windrow, wreath