Cyatholith Cy·ath"olith noun [ Greek
ky`aqos a cup +
-lith .]
(Biol.) A kind of coccolith, which in shape resembles a minute cup widened at the top, and varies in size from &frac1x6000; to &frac1x8000; of an inch.
Cyathophylloid Cy`a·tho·phyl"loid adjective [ New Latin
cyathophyllum , from Greek
ky`aqos a cup +
fy`llon a leaf.]
(Paleon.) Like, or pertaining to, the family Cyathophyllidæ .
Cyathophylloid Cy`a·tho·phyl"loid noun (Paleon.) A fossil coral of the family Cyathophyllidæ ; sometimes extended to fossil corals of other related families belonging to the group Rugosa; -- also called cup corals . Thay are found in paleozoic rocks.
Cycad Cy"cad (sī"kăd)
noun (Botany) Any plant of the natural order Cycadaceæ , as the sago palm, etc.
Cycadaceous Cyc`a·da"ceous adjective (Botany) Pertaining to, or resembling, an order of plants like the palms, but having exogenous wood. The sago palm is an example.
Cycas Cy"cas noun [ Of uncertain origin. Linnæus derives it from one of the "obscure Greek words."]
(Botany) A genus of trees, intermediate in character between the palms and the pines. The pith of the trunk of some species furnishes a valuable kind of sago.
Cyclamen Cyc"la·men noun [ New Latin , from Greek
kykla`minos ,
kyklami`s .]
(Botany) A genus of plants of the Primrose family, having depressed rounded corms, and pretty nodding flowers with the petals so reflexed as to point upwards, whence it is called rabbits' ears . It is also called sow bread , because hogs are said to eat the corms.
Cyclamin Cyc"la·min noun A white amorphous substance, regarded as a glucoside, extracted from the corm of Cyclamen Europæum .
Cyclas Cy"clas noun [ Confer
Ciclatoun .]
A long gown or surcoat (cut off in front), worn in the Middle Ages. It was sometimes embroidered or interwoven with gold. Also, a rich stuff from which the gown was made.
Cycle Cy"cle noun [ French
ycle , Late Latin
cyclus , from Greek
ky`klos ring or circle, cycle; akin to Sanskrit
cakra wheel, circle. See
Wheel .]
1. An imaginary circle or orbit in the heavens; one of the celestial spheres. Milton. 2. An interval of time in which a certain succession of events or phenomena is completed, and then returns again and again, uniformly and continually in the same order; a periodical space of time marked by the recurrence of something peculiar; as, the cycle of the seasons, or of the year. Wages . . . bear a full proportion . . . to the medium of provision during the last bad cycle of twenty years.
Burke.
3. An age; a long period of time. Better fifty years of Europe than a cycle of Cathay.
Tennyson.
4. An orderly list for a given time; a calendar. [ Obsolete]
We . . . present our gardeners with a complete cycle of what is requisite to be done throughout every month of the year.
Evelyn.
5. The circle of subjects connected with the exploits of the hero or heroes of some particular period which have served as a popular theme for poetry, as the legend of Arthur and the knights of the Round Table, and that of Charlemagne and his paladins. 6. (Botany) One entire round in a circle or a spire; as, a cycle or set of leaves. Gray. 7. A bicycle or tricycle, or other light velocipede. Calippic cycle ,
a period of 76 years, or four Metonic cycles; -- so called from Calippus, who proposed it as an improvement on the Metonic cycle. --
Cycle of eclipses ,
a period of about 6,586 days, the time of revolution of the moon's node; -- called Saros by the Chaldeans. --
Cycle of indiction ,
a period of 15 years, employed in Roman and ecclesiastical chronology, not founded on any astronomical period, but having reference to certain judicial acts which took place at stated epochs under the Greek emperors. --
Cycle of the moon ,
or Metonic cycle ,
a period of 19 years, after the lapse of which the new and full moon returns to the same day of the year; -- so called from Meton, who first proposed it. --
Cycle of the sun ,
Solar cycle ,
a period of 28 years, at the end of which time the days of the month return to the same days of the week. The dominical or Sunday letter follows the same order; hence the solar cycle is also called the cycle of the Sunday letter . In the Gregorian calendar the solar cycle is in general interrupted at the end of the century.
Cycle Cy"cle intransitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Cycled . (-k'ld);
present participle & verbal noun Cycling (-kl...ng).]
1. To pass through a cycle of changes; to recur in cycles. Tennyson. Darwin. 2. To ride a bicycle, tricycle, or other form of cycle.
Cycle Cy"cle noun (a) (Thermodynamics) A series of operations in which heat is imparted to (or taken away from) a working substance which by its expansion gives up a part of its internal energy in the form of mechanical work (or being compressed increases its internal energy) and is again brought back to its original state. (b) (Electricity) A complete positive and negative wave of an alternating current; one period. The number of cycles (per second) is a measure of the frequency of an alternating current.
Cyclic Cyc"lic (s?k"l?k or s?"kl?k),
Cyc"lic*al (s?k"l?-k
a l)
adjective [ Confer French
cycluque , Greek
kykliko`s , from
ky`klos See
Cycle .]
Of or pertaining to a cycle or circle; moving in cycles; as, cyclical time. Coleridge. Cyclic chorus ,
the chorus which performed the songs and dances of the dithyrambic odes at Athens, dancing round the altar of Bacchus in a circle. --
Cyclic poets ,
certain epic poets who followed Homer, and wrote merely on the Trojan war and its heroes; -- so called because keeping within the circle of a single subject. Also, any series or coterie of poets writing on one subject. Milman.
Cyclide Cy"clide noun [ Greek
ky`klos circle.]
(Geom.) A surface of the fourth degree, having certain special relations to spherical surfaces. The tore or anchor ring is one of the cyclides.
Cycling Cy"cling noun The act, art, or practice, of riding a cycle, esp. a bicycle or tricycle.
Cyclist Cy"clist noun A cycler.
Cyclo- Cy"clo- (s?"kl?-). [ Greek ky`klos circle, wheel.] A combining form meaning circular , of a circle or wheel .
Cyclobranchiate Cy`clo·bran"chi·ate adjective [
Cyclo- +
branchiate .]
(Zoöl) Having the gills around the margin of the body, as certain limpets.
Cycloganoid Cy`clo·ga"noid adjective (Zoology) Of or pertaining to the Cycloganoidei.
Cycloganoid Cy`clo·ga"noid noun (Zoology) One of the Cycloganoidei.
Cycloganoidei Cy`clo·ga·noi"de·i noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek
ky`klos circle + New Latin
ganoidei . See
Ganoid .]
(Zoology) An order of ganoid fishes, having cycloid scales. The bowfin ( Amia calva ) is a living example.
Cyclograph Cy"clo·graph noun [
Cyclo- +
-graph .]
See Arcograph .
Cycloid Cy"cloid noun [
Cyclo- +
-oid : confer French
cycloïde .]
(Geom.) A curve generated by a point in the plane of a circle when the circle is rolled along a straight line, keeping always in the same plane. » The
common cycloid is the curve described when the generating point (
p ) is on the circumference of the generating circle; the
curtate cycloid , when that point lies without the circumference; the
prolate or
inflected cycloid , when the generating point (
p ) lies within that circumference.
Cycloid Cy"cloid adjective (Zoology) Of or pertaining to the Cycloidei. Cycloid scale (Zoology) ,
a fish scale which is thin and shows concentric lines of growth, without serrations on the margin.
Cycloid Cy"cloid noun (Zoology) One of the Cycloidei.
Cycloidal Cy·cloid"al (-
a l)
adjective Pertaining to, or resembling, a cycloid; as, the cycloidal space is the space contained between a cycloid and its base. Cycloidal engine .
See Geometric lathe .
Cycloidei Cy·cloi"de·i noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek
ky`klos circle +
- oid .]
(Zoology) An order of fishes, formerly proposed by Agassiz, for those with thin, smooth scales, destitute of marginal spines, as the herring and salmon. The group is now regarded as artificial.
Cycloidian Cy·cloid"i·an adjective & noun (Zoology) Same as 2d and 3d Cycloid .
Cyclometer Cy·clom"e·ter noun [
Cyclo- +
-meter .]
A contrivance for recording the revolutions of a wheel, as of a bicycle.
Cyclometry Cy·clom"e·try noun [
Cyclo- +
-metry : confer French
cyclométrie .]
(Geom.) The art of measuring circles.
Cyclone Cy"clone noun [ Greek ............... moving in a circle, present participle of ..............., from
ky`klos circle.]
(Meteor.) A violent storm, often of vast extent, characterized by high winds rotating about a calm center of low atmospheric pressure. This center moves onward, often with a velocity of twenty or thirty miles an hour. » The atmospheric disturbance usually accompanying a cyclone, marked by an onward moving area of high pressure, is called an
anticyclone .
Cyclone Cy"clone noun 1. (Meteor.) In general, a condition of the atmosphere characterized by a central area of pressure much lower than that of surrounding areas, and a system of winds blowing inward and around (clockwise in the southern hemisphere and counter-clockwise in the northern); -- called also a low-area storm . It is attended by high temperature, moist air, abundant precipitation, and clouded sky. The term includes the hurricane, typhoon, and tropical storms; it should not be applied to the moderate disturbances attending ordinary areas of low pressure nor to tornadoes, waterspouts, or "twisters," in which the vertical motion is more important than the horizontal. 2. A tornado. See above, and Tornado . [ Middle U. S.]
Cyclone cellar, pit Cyclone cellar, pit A cellar or excavation used for refuge from a cyclone, or tornado. [ Middle U. S.]
Cyclonic Cy·clon"ic adjective Pertaining to a cyclone.
Cyclonoscope Cy·clo"no·scope noun [
Cyclone +
-scope .]
An apparatus to assist in locating the center of a cyclone.
Cyclop Cy"clop noun See Note under Cyclops , 1.
Cyclopean Cy`clo·pe"an adjective [ Latin
Cyclopeus , Greek ..............., from ............... Cyclops: confer French
cyclopeen .]
Pertaining to the Cyclops; characteristic of the Cyclops; huge; gigantic; vast and rough; massive; as, Cyclopean labors; Cyclopean architecture.
Cyclopedia, Cyclopædia Cy`clo·pe"di·a, Cy`clo·pæ"di·a noun [ New Latin , from Greek
ky`klos circle +
paidei`a the bringing up of a child, education, erudition, from
paidey`ein to bring up a child. See
Cycle , and confer
Encyclopedia ,
Pedagogue .]
The circle or compass of the arts and sciences (originally, of the seven so-called liberal arts and sciences); circle of human knowledge. Hence, a work containing, in alphabetical order, information in all departments of knowledge, or on a particular department or branch; as, a cyclopedia of the physical sciences, or of mechanics. See Encyclopedia .
Cyclopedic Cy`clo·ped"ic adjective Belonging to the circle of the sciences, or to a cyclopedia; of the nature of a cyclopedia; hence, of great range, extent, or amount; as, a man of cyclopedic knowledge.
Cyclopedist Cy`clo·pe"dist noun A maker of, or writer for, a cyclopedia.
Cyclopic Cy·clop"ic adjective [ Greek ..............., from .............]
Pertaining to the Cyclops; Cyclopean.
Cyclops Cy"clops noun sing. & plural [ Latin
Cyclops , Greek
Ky`klwps (strictly round- eyed), plural
Ky`klwpes ;
ky`klos circle +
'w`ps eye.]
1. (Gr. Myth.) One of a race of giants, sons of Neptune and Amphitrite, having but one eye, and that in the middle of the forehead. They were fabled to inhabit Sicily, and to assist in the workshops of Vulcan, under Mt. Etna. » Pope, in his translation of the "Odyssey," uniformly spells this word
Cyclop , when used in the singular.
2. (Zoology) A genus of minute Entomostraca, found both in fresh and salt water. See Copepoda . 3. A portable forge, used by tinkers, etc.
Cyclorama Cy`clo·ra"ma noun [
Cyclo- + Greek
"o`rama sight, spectacle.]
A pictorial view which is extended circularly, so that the spectator is surrounded by the objects represented as by things in nature. The realistic effect is increased by putting, in the space between the spectator and the picture, things adapted to the scene represented, and in some places only parts of these objects, the completion of them being carried out pictorially.
Cycloscope Cy"clo·scope noun [
Cyclo- +
-scope .]
A machine for measuring at any moment velocity of rotation, as of a wheel of a steam engine. Knight.
Cyclosis Cy·clo"sis noun [ New Latin , from Greek
ky`klwsis circulation, from
kykloy^n . See
Cyclone .]
(Botany) The circulation or movement of protoplasmic granules within a living vegetable cell.
Cyclostomata Cy`clo·stom"a·ta (s?`kl?-st?m"?-t?),
Cy*clos"to*ma (s?-kl?s"t?-m?) noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek ky`klos circle + sto`ma , -atos mouth.] (Zoology) A division of Bryozoa, in which the cells have circular apertures.
Cyclostome Cy"clo·stome (s?"kl?-st?m),
Cy*clos"to*mous (s?-kl?s"t?-m?s) ,
adjective (Zoology) Pertaining to the Cyclostomi.
Cyclostomi Cy·clos"to·mi noun plural [ New Latin See
Cyclostomata .]
(Zoology) A glass of fishes having a suckerlike mouth, without jaws, as the lamprey; the Marsipobranchii.
Cyclostylar Cy`clo·sty"lar adjective [
Cyclo- + Greek
sty^los column.]
Relating to a structure composed of a circular range of columns, without a core or building within. Weale.
Cyclostyle Cy"clo·style noun [
Cyclo +
style .]
A contrivance for producing manifold copies of writing or drawing. The writing or drawing is done with a style carrying a small wheel at the end which makes minute punctures in the paper, thus converting it into a stencil. Copies are transferred with an inked roller.