cycle

1 of 2

noun

cy·​cle ˈsī-kəl How to pronounce cycle (audio)
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
… the common cycle of birth, growth, senescence, and death.T. C. Schneirla and Gerard Piel
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: such as
a
: an imaginary circle or orbit in the heavens
4
: a long period of time : age
5
a
: a group of creative works (such as poems, plays, or songs) treating the same theme
a cycle of poems about unrequited love
b
: a series of narratives dealing typically with the exploits of a legendary hero
the Arthurian cycle
6
7
: the series of a single, double, triple, and home run hit in any order by one player during one baseball game

cycle

2 of 2

verb

cycled; cycling ˈsī-k(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce cycle (audio)

intransitive verb

1
a
: to pass through a cycle
The menu cycles through all the options.
Because the traditional HVAC system cycles on and off—and is powered down when you leave—relief is inconsistent at best.Sarah Littleton
b
: to recur in cycles
Freezing temperatures … aren't the problem. It's when temperatures cycle between freezing and thaws, causing pavement to contract and expand … that can create larger issues.Jonathan Oosting
2
: to ride a cycle
specifically : bicycle
She cycles to work.

transitive verb

: to cause to go through a cycle
The fact that it [the pump] runs constantly may be a bad sign. It may be cycling the water, not removing it.Popular Mechanics
Everything is constantly cycled in nature. There is abundant waste in nature, just as there is in industry, but in nature waste constantly flows back into living systems.Paul Hawken and William McDonough
cycler noun

Examples of cycle in a Sentence

Noun We have to wait for the dishwasher's wash and dry cycles to end. the spin cycle on a washing machine He rode his cycle into town. Verb The water is cycled back into the system after it has been used. The water cycles back into the system.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Life has become all too predictable, stuck in a constant cycle of celebrating her 55th birthday, going to the beach and approving galleys for the physics book she’s written with her husband (Carlos Jacott). Stephen Saito, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024 Farmers, many of whom are unable to get loans from banks due to a lack of collateral, say this financing system leaves them in a cycle of debt. Farai Mutsaka, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024 The money is in the next cycle of awards from a CalRecycle program established by SB 1383, which took effect Jan. 1, 2022. Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Mar. 2024 Kennedy cited recent collaborations with Detroit's Motor City Match program and the Detroit Land Bank Authority to help those within the cycle of violence. Andrea May Sahouri, Detroit Free Press, 12 Mar. 2024 The cycle of violence always stops when people of understanding cooperate to solve the injustice that progresses to killing and war. Nwa Democrat-Gazette, arkansasonline.com, 11 Mar. 2024 Based on cycles of the moon, the date of the holiday changes each year. Laura He, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 Like rattlesnakes, piranhas execute two rhythmic movements with radically different frequencies: swimming, with a frequency of up to six cycles per second, and vibrating their swim bladders at frequencies of up to 140 cycles per second to make noises that sound like barks, yips and drumbeats. Quanta Magazine, 11 Mar. 2024 Many of the major religions of the world also use calendars based on lunar cycles. Marshall Shepherd, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024
Verb
Food couriers continue to deliver, cycling along empty streets. Francesca Ebel, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 Mooney uses this opportunity to cycle through the different subgroups of the era, from the jocks to the underground hip-hop heads and more. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024 To the sound of belches of fear, black-and-white footage shot on a thermal imaging camera shows a young Polish girl risking her life to cycle to the camp at night. Hazlitt, 6 Mar. 2024 On each trip you’re guaranteed at least one titan of the sport, a luxury hotel as accommodation, and a wellness program for those in attendance but not cycling. Ben Oliver, Robb Report, 24 Feb. 2024 Getty Images Combine your love of travel and cycling with a Backroads trip through Mendoza wine country (solo travelers welcome). Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 10 Feb. 2024 The moon is cycling through the news ahead of a new chapter in space. Sarah Matusek, The Christian Science Monitor, 31 Jan. 2024 Typically, a person cycles through these stages four to six times each night, with each cycle lasting approximately 90 minutes. Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, The Conversation, 31 Jan. 2024 The food world cycles through fads and styles just like any other industry, and this is especially true with cake decorating. Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 24 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cycle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English cicle, from Late Latin cyclus, from Greek kyklos circle, wheel, cycle — more at wheel

Verb

derivative of cycle entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1842, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of cycle was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near cycle

Cite this Entry

“Cycle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cycle. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cycle

1 of 2 noun
cy·​cle ˈsī-kəl How to pronounce cycle (audio)
1
: a period of time taken up by a series of events or actions that repeat themselves regularly and in the same order
the cycle of the seasons
2
a
: a series of events or operations that happen again and again regularly and usually lead back to the starting point
the cycle of blood from the heart, through the blood vessels, and back again
the drying cycle of a dishwasher
b
: one complete occurrence of a cycle
a cycle of alternating current
the cycle of a vibration
3
: a long period of time : age
cyclic
ˈsī-klik
 also  ˈsik-lik
adjective
or cyclical
ˈsī-kli-kəl,
ˈsik-li-
cyclically
-k(ə-)lē
adverb

cycle

2 of 2 verb
cy·​cle
ˈsī-kəl,
ˈsik-əl
cycled; cycling
ˈsī-k(ə-)liŋ,
ˈsik(-ə)-liŋ
: to ride a bicycle or motorcycle

Medical Definition

cycle

1 of 2 noun
cy·​cle ˈsī-kəl How to pronounce cycle (audio)
1
: a recurring series of events: as
a(1)
: a series of stages through which an organism tends to pass once in a fixed order
the common cycle of birth, growth, senescence and deathT. C. Schneirla & Gerard Piel
also : a series of stages through which a population of organisms tends to pass more or less in synchrony
the mosquito-hatching cycle
see life cycle
(2)
: a series of physiological, biochemical, or psychological stages that recur in the same individual see cardiac cycle, menstrual cycle krebs cycle
b
: one complete performance of a vibration, electric oscillation, current alternation, or other periodic process
c
: a series of ecological stages through which a substance tends to pass and which usually but not always leads back to the starting point
the cycle of nitrogen in the living world
2
cyclic
ˈsī-klik also ˈsik-lik
adjective
cyclically adverb

cycle

2 of 2 intransitive verb
cycled; cycling
: to undergo the estrous cycle
the mare has begun cycling

More from Merriam-Webster on cycle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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