1842, in reference to the alphabet adopted by Slavic people belonging to the Eastern Church, from St. Cyril, 9c. apostle of the Slavs, who supposedly invented it. The alphabet replaced earlier Glagolitic. The name Cyril is Late Latin Cyrillus, from Greek Kyrillos, literally "lordly, masterful," related to kyrios "lord, master" (see church).

It is believed to have superseded the Glagolitic as being easier both for the copyist to write and for the foreigner to acquire. Some of its signs are modified from the Glagolitic, but those which Greek and Slavic have in common are taken from the Greek. It was brought into general use by St. Cyril's pupil, Clement, first bishop of Bulgaria. The Russian alphabet is a slight modification of it. [Century Dictionary]

masc. proper name, Latinized form of Greek Kyros, from Old Persian Kurush, a name of unknown etymology. In Hebrew the name is Koresh, and in that form it was taken c. 1990 by Wayne Howell of Texas, U.S., when he became head of the Branch Davidian church there.

"bladder-like bag or vesicle in an animal body," 1713, from Modern Latin cystis (in English as a Latin word from 1540s), from Greek kystis "bladder, pouch," which is of uncertain etymology.

1883; see cyst + -ectomy "a cutting out."

1630s, "pertaining to the gall bladder," from French cystique (16c.), from Modern Latin cysticus, from Greek kystis "bladder, pouch," which is of unknown origin. Meaning "pertaining to a cyst" is from 1713. Cystic fibrosis coined in 1938.

"inflammation of the bladder," 1774, from cyst + -itis "inflammation."

"hernia or rupture formed by protrusion of the bladder," 1811, from French cystocèle, from Latinized form of Greek kystis "bladder" (which is of unknown origin) + kele "tumor, rupture, hernia" (see -cele).

1910, "examination of the bladder with a cystoscope" (1889), from Latinized combining form of Greek kystis "bladder" (which is of unknown origin) + -scope. Related: Cystoscopic.

also Cytherian, 1719, "pertaining to Venus," from Latin Cytherea "Venus," from Greek Kythereia, from Kythera, Ionian island where Aphrodite was fabled to have arisen from the sea.

"the study of the cells of organisms," 1857, from cyto- "cell" + -logy. Related: Cytologist (1884); cytological.