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

Warmer temperatures increase evaporation, drying out rivers, reservoirs, soil and vegetation, and speeding up Earth’s water cycle as more water goes back into the air for precipitation. —John Leos, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2025

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, 18 Aug. 2025

As temperature rises, the water cycle accelerates, leading to more floods and droughts. —Kenneth J. Davis, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2025

The Pacific Northwest region, beginning hundreds of miles north of the Sierras at the Oregon border, sends no water to Los Angeles, aside from whatever arrives over time in the form of rain as part of the natural water cycle. —Alan Ohnsman, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for water cycle

• recycle
• motorcycle

Kids Definition

water cycle

noun

: hydrologic cycle