a. [ Pref. a- not + cyclic. ] Not cyclic; not disposed in cycles or whorls; as: (a) (Bot.) Of a flower, having its parts inserted spirally on the receptacle. (b) (Org. Chem.) Having an open-chain structure; aliphatic. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. (Org. Chem.) pertaining to compounds that have a ring in the structure, but are not aromatic, as cyclohexane or cyclohexene. Compare aliphatic and aromatic. [ PJC. ]

a. Relating to bicycles. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ Cf. F. cycluque, Gr. kykliko`s, fr. ky`klos See Cycle. ] 1. Of or pertaining to a cycle or circle; moving in cycles; as, cyclical time. Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Chemistry) Having atoms bonded to form a ring structure. Opposite of acyclic. Used most commonly in respect to organic compounds. [ Narrower terms: bicyclic; heterocyclic; homocyclic, isocyclic ]
Syn. -- closed-chain, closed-ring. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

3. Recurring in cycles{ 2 }; having a pattern that repeats at approximately equal intervals; periodic. Opposite of noncyclic. [ Narrower terms: alternate(prenominal), alternating(prenominal); alternate(prenominal), every other(prenominal), every second(prenominal); alternating(prenominal), oscillating(prenominal); biyearly; circadian exhibiting 24-hour periodicity); circular; daily, diurnal; fortnightly, biweekly; hourly; midweek, midweekly; seasonal; semestral, semestrial; semiannual, biannual, biyearly; semiweekly, biweekly; weekly; annual, yearly; biennial; bimonthly, bimestrial; half-hourly; half-yearly; monthly; tertian, alternate(prenominal); triennial ] [ WordNet 1.5 ]

4. Marked by repeated cycles{ 2 }. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ L. encyclios of a circle, general, Gr. &unr_;; &unr_; in + &unr_; circle: cf. F. encyclique. See Cycle. ] Sent to many persons or places; intended for many, or for a whole order of men; general; circular; as, an encyclical letter of a council, of a bishop, or the pope.

{ } n. An encyclical letter, esp. one from a pope. Shipley.

a. Pertaining to, resembling, or having the motion of, an epicycle. [ 1913 Webster ]

Epicyclic train (Mach.), a train of mechanism in which epicyclic motion is involved; esp., a train of spur wheels, bevel wheels, or belt pulleys, in which an arm, carrying one or more of the wheels, sweeps around a center lying in an axis common to the other wheels. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. ge`a, gh^, the earth + ky`klos circle. ] 1. Of, pertaining to, or illustrating, the revolutions of the earth; as, a geocyclic machine. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Circling the earth periodically. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. not occurring in cycles; not cyclic. Opposite of cyclic.
Syn. -- nonclyclical. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. aperiodic. periodic [ WordNet 1.5 ]