CYCLE


Meaning of CYCLE in English

I. cy ‧ cle 1 S3 W3 AC /ˈsaɪk ə l/ BrE AmE noun [countable]

[ Word Family: adjective : ↑ cyclic , cyclical; noun : ↑ cycle ; adverb : ↑ cyclically ]

[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: 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 ⇨ cyclic :

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 British English a bicycle or ↑ motorcycle :

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

• • •

COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1)

■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + cycle

▪ sth’s life cycle (=the stages of life that happen in order)

Dragonflies develop wings in the last stage of their life cycle.

▪ an annual/monthly/weekly cycle (=the related events that repeat themselves every year, month etc)

the annual cycle of planting and harvesting crops

▪ a business/economic/election etc cycle (=related events in business, the economy etc that repeat themselves over a certain period)

the presidential election cycle

▪ the lunar/solar cycle (=relating to the moon or the sun)

the 28-day lunar cycle

▪ a natural cycle

the natural cycle of birth and death

▪ the menstrual cycle (=relating to the blood that women lose each month)

Illness can disrupt your menstrual cycle.

■ verbs

▪ go/pass through a cycle

Advanced economies seem to go through a regular cycle.

▪ break a cycle (=stop a bad cycle happening)

If people can get jobs, they can break the cycle of poverty and debt.

▪ complete a cycle

The birds were able to complete their breeding cycle as farmers delayed cutting the hedges.

■ phrases

▪ a cycle of poverty/activity/birth and death etc

the cycle of violence between the two countries

▪ be trapped in a cycle

The country is trapped in a cycle of poverty and under-development.

▪ a stage/phase of a cycle

the recovery phase of the economic cycle

• • •

COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)

■ cycle + NOUN

▪ a cycle lane (=part of a road that only cycles can use)

Cars are not allowed in the cycle lanes.

▪ a cycle path/track (=path for cycles in a park, wood etc, or beside a road)

The forest is full of beautiful cycle paths.

▪ a cycle route (=way of getting somewhere on a cycle)

I bought a map of all the cycle routes in the area.

▪ a cycle ride (=trip on a bicycle for pleasure)

We went for a 20 km cycle ride.

▪ a cycle race

the annual cycle race around France

▪ a cycle helmet (=hat to protect your head)

He wasn’t wearing a cycle helmet.

▪ cycle hire (=hiring a cycle to use)

Cycle hire is available in the town centre.

II. cycle 2 AC BrE AmE verb

1 . [intransitive] especially British English to travel by bicycle SYN bike American English

cycle to/down/home etc

Do you cycle to work?

2 . [intransitive and transitive] American English 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.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.