cycle

cy|cle¹ W3S3 [ˈsaıkəl] n

[Date: 1300-1400; : French; Origin: Late Latin cyclus, from Greek kyklos 'circle, wheel, cycle']

1.) a number of related events that happen again and again in the same order

▪ a woman's menstrual cycle

cycle of

▪ the cycle of the seasons

▪ Sometimes the only way to break the cycle of violence in the home is for the wife to leave.

→↑life cycle

→vicious cycle at ↑vicious circle

2.) especially BrE a bicycle or ↑motorcycle

▪ a map showing cycle routes

3.) the period of time needed for a machine to finish a process

▪ This washing machine has a 50-minute cycle.

4.) a group of songs, poems etc that are all about a particular important event

cycle ²

cycle² v

1.) [i]especially BrE to travel by bicycle

American Equivalent: bikecycle to/down/home etc

▪ Do you cycle to work?

2.) [I and T] AmE

to go through a series of related events again and again, or to make something do this

▪ The water is cycled through the machine and reused.