cycle — English Dictionary

Noun

1. An interval of space or time in which one set of events or phenomena is completed.

   Examples

   the cycle of the seasons, or of the year

   More examples (1)

   VVages have been tvvice raiſed in my time, and they bear a full proportion, or even a greater than formerly, to the medium of proviſion during the laſt bad cycle of tvventy years.

2. A complete rotation of anything.

3. A process that returns to its beginning and then repeats itself in the same sequence.

   Examples

   electoral cycle menstrual cycle news cycle

   More examples (2)

   No sooner has a [synthetic] drug been blacklisted than chemists adjust their recipe and start churning out a subtly different one. These “legal highs” are sold for the few months it takes the authorities to identify and ban them, and then the cycle begins again.

   Ice is one of a slate of young, idealistic candidates for Move Forward who have joined mainstream politics in the hope that this election allows Thailand to break the cycle of military coups […]

4. The members of the sequence formed by such a process.

5. A series of poems, songs or other works of art, typically longer than a trilogy.

   Examples

   The Ring of the Nibelung is a cycle of four operas by Richard Wagner.

6. A programme on a washing machine, dishwasher, or other such device.

   Examples

   Put the washing in on a warm cycle.

   the spin cycle

7. A single, a double, a triple, and a home run hit by the same player in the same game.

   Examples

   Jones hit for the cycle in the game.

8. A closed walk or path, with or without repeated vertices allowed.

9. A chain whose boundary is zero.

10. An imaginary circle or orbit in the heavens; one of the celestial spheres.

    Examples

    With centric and eccentric scribbled o'er, Cycle and epicycle, orb in orb

    There appears to be no absolute cycle in the universe; all is change and progression. No planet ever revolves twice precisely in the same orbit.

11. An age; a long period of time.

    Examples

    Thro' the shadow of the world we sweep into the younger day: / Better fifty years of Europe than a cycle of Cathay.

12. An orderly list for a given time; a calendar.

    Examples

    [H]ere we endeavour to preſent our Gard'ners with a compleat Cycle of what is requiſite to be done throughout every Moneth of the Year: […]

13. One entire round in a circle or a spire.

    Examples

    a cycle or set of leaves

14. A discharge of a taser.

    Examples

    Officers have made the mistake of applying many Taser cycles, expecting the suspect to relent.

15. One take-off and landing of an aircraft, referring to a pressurisation cycle which places stresses on the fuselage.

16. A scheduled period of time of weeks or months wherein a performance-enhancing substance or, by extension, supplement is applied, to be followed by another one where it is not or the dosage is lower.

    Examples

    The deterioration of his physique may be a result of his being off cycle.

17. A hertz; cycle per second.

    Usage

    • plural
    • usually

    Examples

    More examples (1)

    […] the Plan incorporates in proper combination every available modern technique, including extensive electrification on the new standard high-voltage a.c. system at a frequency of 50 cycles; main-line diesel traction as a half-way house to electrification; lightweight diesel trains for secondary and branch services; and a smaller wagon fleet doing more work by the use of continuous brakes in conjunction with modernised terminals and marshalling yards.

Verb

1. To go through a cycle or to put through a cycle.

   Examples

   When my wife and I heard a plaintive whinny from our laundry room the other day, we knew that our old dryer had cycled its last load.

2. To turn power off and back on

   Examples

   Avoid cycling the device unnecessarily.

3. To maintain a team's possession of the puck in the offensive zone by handling and passing the puck in a loop from the boards near the goal up the side boards and passing to back to the boards near the goal

   Examples

   They have their cycling game going tonight.

Noun

1. A pedal-powered vehicle, such as a unicycle, bicycle, or tricycle, or a motorized vehicle that has either two or three wheels.

2. A pedal-powered vehicle, such as a unicycle, bicycle, or tricycle, or a motorized vehicle that has either two or three wheels. A bicycle.

   Usage

   • specifically
   • usually

Verb

1. To ride a bicycle or other cycle.

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   Sometimes I would cycle over to Beckenham to watch the boat trains and Kent Coast expresses of the London, Chatham & Dover Railway, which seemed very superior to its future partner.

   I cycled the three miles each morning between hedges draped with spangled cobwebs and berried bryony.

   More examples (1)

   Well, during our short staycation at Humberston Fitties, just south of Cleethorpes, we cycled through the very unspoilt Lincolnshire Wolds, which are by no means flat and boring as conventional wisdom about the county suggests.

Noun

1. an interval during which a recurring sequence of events occurs

   Synonyms

   rhythmround

   Broader terms

   time intervalinterval

   Examples

   the never-ending cycle of the seasons

2. a series of poems or songs on the same theme

   Broader terms

   series

   Examples

   Schubert's song cycles

3. a periodically repeated sequence of events

   Broader terms

   repeatrepetition

   Examples

   a cycle of reprisal and retaliation

4. the unit of frequency; one hertz has a periodic interval of one second (named for Heinrich Rudolph Hertz)

   Synonyms

   hertzHzcycle per secondcps

   Broader terms

   rate

5. a single complete execution of a periodically repeated phenomenon

   Synonyms

   oscillation

   Broader terms

   periodic eventrecurrent event

   Examples

   a year constitutes a cycle of the seasons

6. a wheeled vehicle that has two wheels and is moved by foot pedals

   Synonyms

   bicyclebikewheel

   Broader terms

   wheeled vehicle

Verb

1. cause to go through a recurring sequence

   Broader terms

   passmake pass

   Examples

   cycle the laundry in this washing program

2. pass through a cycle

   Broader terms

   pass

   Examples

   This machine automatically cycles

3. ride a motorcycle

   Synonyms

   motorbikemotorcycle

   Broader terms

   ride

4. ride a bicycle

   Synonyms

   bicyclebikepedalwheel

   Broader terms

   ride

5. recur in repeating sequences

   Broader terms

   recurrepeat