one of a genus of bulbous plants native to southern Europe and western Asia, 1550s, from Medieval Latin cyclamen, from Latin cyclaminos, from Greek kyklaminos, also kyklamis, from kyklos "circle" (from PIE root *kwel- (1) "revolve, move round"). So called apparently in reference to the bulbous shape of the root.

1842, "revolve in cycles, occur or recur in cycles," from cycle (n.). Meaning "to ride a bicycle" is by 1881 (implied in cycling). Related: Cycled.

late 14c., cicle, "perpetual circulating period of time, on the completion of which certain phenomena return in the same order," especially and originally in reference to astronomical phenomena, from Old French cicle and directly from Late Latin cyclus, from Greek kyklos "circle, wheel, any circular body," also "circular motion, cycle of events," from PIE kw(e)-kwl-o-, a suffixed, reduplicated form of the root *kwel- (1) "to revolve, move round."

From 1660s as "any recurring round of operations or events" (as in life cycle). From 1821 as "single complete period in a cycle." Extended by 1842 to "any long period of years, an age." In literary use, "the aggregate of the legends or traditions around some real or mythical event or character" (1835).

By 1884 as "recurring series of oscillations or operations in an engine, etc." From 1870 as short for motorcycle; by 1881 as short for bicycle or tricycle.

1794, "pertaining to or moving in a cycle or circle," from French cyclique (16c.), from Latin cyclicus, from Greek kyklikos "moving in a circle," from kyklos "circle, wheel, any circular body, circular motion, cycle of events" (see cycle (n.)). Sense of "connected to a literary cycle" is by 1822.

1817, of a line, "returning into itself," from cyclic + -al (1). From 1834 as "pertaining to a cycle, cyclic." In botany, "rolled up circularly;" in zoology, "recurrent in successive circles."

"bicyclist," 1882; see bicycle + -ist. Cycler is from 1880. Saxonists preferred wheelman. Meaning "one who reckons by cycles or believes in the cyclic recurrence of certain classes of events" is from 1882.

1848, "extensive storm characterized by the revolution of air around a calm center in which the wind blows spirally around the center," coined by British East India Company official Henry Piddington to describe the devastating storm of December 1789 in Coringa, India; irregularly formed from a Latinized form of Greek kyklon "moving in a circle, whirling around," present participle of kykloun "move in a circle, whirl," from kyklos "circle" (from PIE root *kwel- (1) "revolve, move round"). Applied to tornadoes from 1856.

"pertaining to or of the nature of a cyclone," 1849, from cyclone + -ic. Cyclonal is from 1855.

"of or characteristic of the legendary Cyclopes of Greek mythology," 1640s, from Latin cyclopeus, from Greek kyklopeios, from kyklopes (see cyclops). Especially in reference to having a single eye in the middle of the forehead; also "vast, gigantic," and in reference to a style of ancient masonry, irregular or unhewn, fabled to be the work of a gigantic Thracian race (1822).

also cyclopaedia, 1728, a shortening of encyclopedia. Related: Encyclopedic, encyclopaedic.