cyclic

[ sahy-klik, sik-lik ]
See synonyms for cyclic on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. revolving or recurring in cycles; characterized by recurrence in cycles.

  2. of, relating to, or constituting a cycle or cycles.

  1. Chemistry. of or relating to a compound that contains a closed chain or ring of atoms (contrasted with acyclic).

  2. Botany.

    • arranged in whorls, as the parts of a flower.

    • (of a flower) having the parts so arranged.

  3. Mathematics.

    • pertaining to an algebraic system in which all the elements of a group are powers of one element.

    • (of a set of elements) arranged as if on a circle, so that the first element follows the last.

Origin of cyclic

1
1785–95; <Latin cyclicus<Greek kyklikós circular. See cycle, -ic

Other words from cyclic

  • cy·clic·i·ty [sahy-klis-i-tee], /saɪˈklɪs ɪ ti/, noun
  • non·cy·clic, adjective

Words Nearby cyclic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use cyclic in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cyclic

cyclic

cyclical (ˈsaɪklɪkəl, ˈsɪklɪkəl)

/ (ˈsaɪklɪk, ˈsɪklɪk) /


adjective
  1. recurring or revolving in cycles

  2. (of an organic compound) containing a closed saturated or unsaturated ring of atoms: See also heterocyclic, homocyclic

  1. botany

    • arranged in whorls: cyclic petals

    • having parts arranged in this way: cyclic flowers

  2. music of or relating to a musical form consisting of several movements sharing thematic material

  3. geometry (of a polygon) having vertices that lie on a circle

  4. (in generative grammar) denoting one of a set of transformational rules all of which must apply to a clause before any one of them applies to any clause in which the first clause is embedded

Derived forms of cyclic

  • cyclically, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for cyclic

cyclic

[ sĭklĭk, sīklĭk ]


  1. Occurring or moving in cycles.

  2. Relating to a compound having atoms arranged in a ring or closed-chain structure. Benzene is a cyclic compound.

  1. Having parts arranged in a whorl.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.