water cycle

noun

: hydrologic cycle

In the water cycle, water evaporates, condenses, falls as precipitation, and eventually evaporates again.

—Timothy Cooney et al.

As they have for thousands of years, the rhythms of wildlife migration and reproduction as well as human agriculture and grazing activities are inseparable from that of the yearly water cycle.

—Peter Warshall

… run by solar energy that helps cause winds, energizes plants, and powers the water cycle.

—David M. Armstrong et al.

Examples of water cycle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Students could then be assigned a diagram of the water cycle with missing labels; filling in the blanks on the diagram offers them a hands-on activity to reinforce the information in the quiz. — Hannah Nwoko, Parents, 7 July 2026

Also flying is the Lunar Trailblazer, a mission selected under NASA’s Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) program, a small satellite designed to provide an understanding of the form, abundance, and distribution of water on the moon, as well as the lunar water cycle. — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 June 2026

The reason has to do with the water cycle. — David Boutt, The Conversation, 26 May 2026

That’s why knowing how much liquid laundry detergent to use per load matters more now than ever — the wrong amount in a low-water cycle has nowhere to go. — Ryan Brennan may 14, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for water cycle

• recycle
• motorcycle

Kids Definition

water cycle

noun

: hydrologic cycle