Etymology

recycle

R1E1C3Y4C3L1E1

Today it means: To break down and reuse component materials. Full definition →

English cycle ← Middle English cicle ← Late Latin cyclus
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The story

  1. Proto-Italic*wre-
  2. Latinre-
  3. Old Frenchre-
  4. Middle Englishre-
  5. Englishre-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*kʷelh₁-redup.
  7. Proto-Indo-European*kʷékʷlos
  8. Proto-Hellenic*kʷókʷlos
  9. Proto-Hellenic*kúklos
  10. Ancient Greekκύκλος (kúklos)
  11. Late Latincyclus
  12. Middle Englishcicle
  13. Englishcycle
  14. English todayrecycle

From re- + cycle.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.