tricyclic

T1R1I1C3Y4C3L1I1C3

adjective

Having three rings of atoms in the molecule.

“Anthracene is tricyclic.”

Similar
tricyclic antidepressanttricyclic antidepressant drug
OriginEnglish cyclic ← Classical Latin cyclicus ← French cyclique →
UncommonScrabble 18
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Meanings

adjectivetricyclic (not comparable)
  1. not comparablechemistryHaving three rings of atoms in the molecule.

    Anthracene is tricyclic.

    1 more example

    a tricyclic antidepressant

  2. not comparablebiologyOf a flower: composed of three whorls or organs.
nountricyclic (plural tricyclics)

plural tricyclics

  1. chemistryAny tricyclic compound.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounan antidepressant drug that acts by blocking the reuptake of norepinephrine and serotonin and thus making more of those substances available to act on receptors in the brain

Similar
tricyclic antidepressanttricyclic antidepressant drug
Broader
antidepressantantidepressant drug

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*tréyes
  2. Proto-Indo-European*tri-
  3. Proto-Italic*tri-
  4. Latintri-
  5. Englishtri-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*kʷelh₁-redup.
  7. Proto-Indo-European*kʷékʷlos
  8. Proto-Hellenic*kʷókʷlos
  9. Proto-Hellenic*kúklos
  10. Ancient Greekκύκλος (kúklos)
  11. Ancient Greekκυκλῐκός (kuklĭkós)
  12. Classical Latincyclicu
  13. Middle Frenchcyclique
  14. Frenchcyclique
  15. Classical Latincyclicus
  16. Englishcyclic
  17. Englishtricyclic

From tri- + cyclic.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Greek τρικυκλικός
  • τρικυκλικός (trikyklikós)having three rings of atoms in the molecule
Polish tricykliczny
  • tricyklicznyhaving three rings of atoms in the molecule
Russian трицикли́ческий
  • трицикли́ческий (triciklíčeskij)having three rings of atoms in the molecule
Cite this entry
APA

tricyclic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tricyclic

MLA

“tricyclic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tricyclic. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tricyclic,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tricyclic.

Source: tricyclic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.