Meaning

adjective not cyclic; especially having parts arranged in spirals rather than whorls

adjective having an open chain structure

originEtymology tree English a- Proto-Indo-European *kʷel- Proto-Indo-European *kʷékʷlos Ancient Greek κύκλος (kúklos) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) Ancient Greek -ικός (-ikós) Ancient Greek κυκλῐκός (kuklĭkós)bor. Classical Latin cyclicuslbor. Middle French cyclique French cycliquebor. ▲ Classical Latin cyclicusbor. English cyclic English acyclic From a- + cyclic.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0