cycle

cycle
/suy"keuhl/, n., v., cycled, cycling.
n.
1. any complete round or series of occurrences that repeats or is repeated.
2. a round of years or a recurring period of time, esp. one in which certain events or phenomena repeat themselves in the same order and at the same intervals.
3. any long period of years; age.
4. a bicycle, motorcycle, tricycle, etc.
5. a group of poems, dramas, prose narratives, songs etc., about a central theme, figure, or the like: the Arthurian cycle.
6. Physics.
a. a sequence of changing states that, upon completion, produces a final state identical to the original one.
b. one of a succession of periodically recurring events.
c. a complete alteration in which a phenomenon attains a maximum and minimum value, returning to a final value equal to the original one.
7. Math. a permutation of a set of elements that leaves the original cyclic order of the elements unchanged.
8. Computers.
a. the smallest interval of time required to complete an operation in a computer.
b. a series of computer operations repeated as a unit.
9. hit for the cycle, Baseball. (of one player) to hit a single, double, triple, and home run in one game.
v.i.
10. to ride or travel by bicycle, motorcycle, tricycle, etc.
11. to move or revolve in cycles; pass through cycles.
[1350-1400; ME cicle < LL cyclus < Gk kýklos cycle, circle, wheel, ring, disk, orb; see WHEEL]

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(as used in expressions)
Ossianic cycle
Fionn cycle
Ulaid cycle

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      in literature, a group of prose or poetic narratives, usually of different authorship, centring on a legendary hero and his associates. The term cyclic poems was first used in late classical times to refer to the independent poems that appeared after Homer to supplement his account of the Trojan War and the heroes' homecomings. Another classical Greek cycle is the “Theban” group, dealing with Oedipus and his descendants. This cycle is best known through Sophocles' tragedies Oedipus Rex, Antigone, and Oedipus at Colonus, and Aeschylus' Seven Against Thebes.

      Medieval romance is classified into three major cycles: the “matter of Rome the great,” the “matter of France,” and the “matter of Britain” (“matter” here is a literal translation of the French matière, referring to subject matter, theme, topic, etc.). The matter of Rome, a misnomer, refers to all tales derived from Latin classics. The matter of France includes the stories of Charlemagne and his Twelve Noble Peers. The matter of Britain refers to stories of King Arthur and his knights, the Tristan stories, and independent tales having an English background, such as Guy of Warwick.

      Groups of mystery plays (mystery play) that were regularly performed in various towns in England were also known as cycles. (See Chester plays; N-Town plays; Wakefield plays; York plays.)

      The word cycle is also used for a series of poems or novels that are linked in theme, such as Émile Zola's Rougon-Macquart cycle of 20 novels (1871–93), tracing the history of a single family.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • CYCLE — Une conception cyclique du temps a souvent été comprise par la pensée moderne comme la marque du primitivisme d’une culture ou le symptôme d’une régression archaïsante chez un sujet. Une telle conception, dans les deux cas, résulterait d’une… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • cycle — cy‧cle [ˈsaɪkl] noun [countable] a series of events that happen in an order that regularly repeats itself: • Approved Training Practices are monitored by the Association on a five year cycle. ˈbilling ˌcycle ACCOUNTING the usual time that is… …   Financial and business terms

  • Cycle — Cy cle (s? k l), n. [F. ycle, LL. cyclus, fr. Gr. ky klos ring or circle, cycle; akin to Skr. cakra wheel, circle. See {Wheel}.] 1. An imaginary circle or orbit in the heavens; one of the celestial spheres. Milton. [1913 Webster] 2. An interval… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Cycle En V — Les phases du cycle en V Le modèle du cycle en V est un modèle conceptuel de gestion de projet imaginé suite au problème de réactivité du modèle en cascade. Il permet, en cas d anomalie, de limiter un retour aux étapes précédentes. Les phases de… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Cycle en v — Les phases du cycle en V Le modèle du cycle en V est un modèle conceptuel de gestion de projet imaginé suite au problème de réactivité du modèle en cascade. Il permet, en cas d anomalie, de limiter un retour aux étapes précédentes. Les phases de… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Cycle Du Ā — Le Cycle du Ā (que l on prononce non A) est constitué de trois romans de science fiction écrits par A. E. van Vogt (Canada) : Le Monde des Ā Les Joueurs du Ā La Fin du Ā Essai Le philosophe grec Aristote a établi un système du monde dualiste …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Cycle du A — Cycle du Ā Le Cycle du Ā (que l on prononce non A) est constitué de trois romans de science fiction écrits par A. E. van Vogt (Canada) : Le Monde des Ā Les Joueurs du Ā La Fin du Ā Essai Le philosophe grec Aristote a établi un système du… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Cycle du ā — Le Cycle du Ā (que l on prononce non A) est constitué de trois romans de science fiction écrits par A. E. van Vogt (Canada) : Le Monde des Ā Les Joueurs du Ā La Fin du Ā Essai Le philosophe grec Aristote a établi un système du monde dualiste …   Wikipédia en Français

  • cycle — [sī′kəl; ] for n.7 & vi.2, also [ sik′əl] n. [ME cicle < LL cyclus < Gr kyklos, a circle, cycle: see WHEEL] 1. a recurring period of a definite number of years, used as a measure of time 2. a period of time within which a round of regularly …   English World dictionary

  • cycle — CYCLE. s. m. Cercle, période. Le Cycle solaire est de 28 années. Le Cycle lunaire est de 19 ans. Le Cycle de l Indiction est de 15 ans …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie Française 1798

  • cycle — CYCLE. s. m. Cercle, periode. Le cycle du soleil est de 28. années. le cycle lunaire est de 29. ans. & le cycle d indiction est de 15. ans …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

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