From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcyclecy‧cle1 /ˈsaɪkəl/ ●●○ S3 W3 AWL noun [countable] 1 TMCORDER/SEQUENCEa number of related events that happen again and again in the same order → cyclic a woman’s menstrual cyclecycle 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 circle2 TTBTTC especially British English a bicycle or motorcycle cycle routes3 DTthe period of time needed for a machine to finish a process This washing machine has a 50-minute cycle.4 Aa group of songs, poems etc that are all about a particular important eventCOLLOCATIONS – Meaning 1: a number of related events that happen again and again in the same orderADJECTIVES/NOUN + cycle something’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 cropsa business/economic/election etc cycle (=related events in business, the economy etc that repeat themselves over a certain period)the presidential election cyclethe lunar/solar cycle (=relating to the moon or the sun)the 28-day lunar cyclea natural cyclethe natural cycle of birth and deaththe menstrual cycle (=relating to the blood that women lose each month)Illness can disrupt your menstrual cycle.verbsgo/pass through a cycleAdvanced 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 cycleThe birds were able to complete their breeding cycle as farmers delayed cutting the hedges.phrasesa cycle of poverty/activity/birth and death etcthe cycle of violence between the two countriesbe trapped in a cycleThe country is trapped in a cycle of poverty and under-development.a stage/phase of a cyclethe recovery phase of the economic cycle COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: a bicycle or motorcyclecycle + NOUNa 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 racethe annual cycle race around Francea 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.
Examples from the Corpus
cycle• Bicycling: Hire a cycle from the central sports shop which is open every day except Sunday.• Food symbolises many things in this film, but the recurring image is of a cycle of fleshly decay fuelled by appetite.• A fortunate grounding and optimistic cleansing which a cycle of this sort provides.• For technical reasons spatial frequency is expressed in cycles per degree rather than cycles per centimetre.• Fourteen days is the length of the life cycle from egg to larva to pupa to adult.• The pun fits all sorts of natural and unnatural phenomena, from lunar cycles to a nostalgic yearning to see Elvis again.• Blood vessels normally grow during the menstrual cycle, embryonic development and wound healing.• This washing machine has a 28-minute cycle.• a song cycle about springcycle of• the life cycle of a fruit flycyclecycle2 ●●○ AWL verb 1 TTB[intransitive] especially British English to travel by bicycle SYN bike American Englishcycle to/down/home etc Do you cycle to work?2 [intransitive, 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.→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
cycle• The parents who buy these bikes should take their offspring to the park to cycle.• Brenda cycled along the lane towards Stowbridge that morning to meet Daddy in his new van.• No matter how good things are, we cycle into difficult times.• Cycling isn't only good for the environment - it's a great form of exercise too.• I run, cycle, or walk at least three times a week.• It took about 20 minutes for her to cycle the 5 miles to her home.• I usually cycle through the park to get to school.cycle to/down/home etc• He dropped the gangplank over the stern and wheeled the motor cycle down.• The dark red Seneca changed profile as the undercarriage cycled down.• The pun fits all sorts of natural and unnatural phenomena, from lunar cycles to a nostalgic yearning to see Elvis again.• The council then devotes the off year of its two-year budget cycle to long-term planning.• Faults were being discovered, but too late in the cycle to prevent significant wastage.• The local police had told the sergeant that Marek cycled to school every morning to keep fit and to save money.• There is a predictable life cycle to the enjoyment of wealth by a particular sector as a result of technological gains.• All with trials, heats, elimination rounds, in everything from cycling to yachting, boxing to synchronized swimming.From Longman Business Dictionarycyclecy‧cle /ˈsaɪkəl/ noun [countable] a series of events that happen in an order that regularly repeats itselfApproved Training Practices are monitored by the Association on a five-year cycle. → billing cycle → business cycle → job cycle → trade cycle → see also Kondratiev cycleOrigin cycle1 (1300-1400) French Late Latin cyclus, from Greek kyklos “circle, wheel, cycle” 