cycle

Pronunciation

• IPA ^(key): /ˈsaɪkəl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

Singular cycle

Plural cycles

A 4-part engine cycle

1. (countable) A cycle is a number of regular things that happen again and again.

   Right now we are in an upward-moving part of the business cycle.

   Although women's monthly cycles vary in length from person to person, the average length is about 28 days.

   Most car engines have a 4-part cycle.

2. (countable) A cycle is a short way of saying bicycle or motorcycle.
   • Synonym: bike

Verb

Plain form cycle

Third-person singular cycles

Past tense cycled

Past participle cycled

Present participle cycling

1. (transitive & intransitive) If you cycle somewhere, you go there by bicycle or motorcycle.

   The rain was falling harder than ever as I cycled home down the Banbury Road.

   It took me less than 7 minutes to cycle the whole trail.

2. (transitive) If you cycle a machine, you run it through one cycle.

   The test will cycle the computer through ten start ups.

Synonyms

• bike