procyclic
|pro-cy-clic|
🇺🇸
/proʊˈsaɪklɪk/
🇬🇧
/prəʊˈsaɪklɪk/
moving with the cycle
Etymology
'procyclic' is formed from the prefix 'pro-' (from Latin 'pro' meaning 'for', 'forward', or 'before') + 'cyclic' (from Greek 'kyklos' meaning 'circle' via Latin/French 'cycle'), assembled in modern English as a compound.
'cyclic' derives from Greek 'kyklos' → Latin/French 'cycle' → English 'cycle'/'cyclic'; the combining prefix 'pro-' (Latin) was added in modern usage (20th century) to form technical adjectives like 'procyclic', especially in economics and biology.
The components originally referred to 'forward' or 'before' and 'circle' respectively; combined, the modern technical meaning became 'occurring in the same phase or direction as a cycle' (particularly in economic and biological contexts).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
tending to move or change in the same direction as the overall phase of a cycle, especially used in economics to describe variables that rise in booms and fall in recessions (synonymous with 'procyclical').
Investment is often procyclic, increasing during economic expansions and falling during recessions.
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Adjective 2
relating to or characteristic of a particular stage in a biological cycle (e.g., the 'procyclic' stage of certain parasites).
Researchers identified the procyclic form of the parasite that develops in the insect vector.
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Last updated: 2025/10/20 01:25