'bicyclic' originates from a combination of Latin 'bi-' (from Latin 'bis', meaning 'twice' or 'two') and Greek 'cyclic' ultimately from Greek 'kyklos' (meaning 'circle' or 'ring').

'bicyclic' was formed in modern English by combining the prefix 'bi-' + the adjective 'cyclic' (from Late Latin/Greek), producing a technical adjective meaning 'having two cycles' and used especially in chemistry and mathematics.

Initially formed to mean 'having two cycles or rings', the term has retained this core meaning and is now used in specialized senses (e.g., chemical 'two-ringed' structures and mathematical 'two-cycle' structures).