epicycle en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈɛpɪˌsaɪkəl/ (UK)
- (US) audio
Etymology
From Latin epicyclus, from Ancient Greek ἐπίκυκλος (epíkuklos), from ἐπί (epí, “upon”) + κύκλος (kúklos, “circle”). The ad hoc complication sense is a generalization from the archetype supplied by the Ptolemaic astronomy sense.
Meanings
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A small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle; in Ptolemaic astronomy it was seen as the basis of revolution of the "seven planets", given a fixed central Earth.
Is it not [Philosophie], that […] teacheth miserie, famine and sicknesse to laugh? Not by reason of some imaginarie Epicicles, but by naturall and palpable reasons.
, Folio Society, 2006, vol.1, p.155
- Any circle whose circumference rolls around that of another circle, thus creating a hypocycloid or epicycloid.
- A ring of atoms joining parts of an already cyclic compound
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(figuratively) An ad hoc complication added to a model to make it fit the known data
Rather than solve the theoretical problem of how to produce a method of political ethics, the contractarian device introduces an unnecessary theoretical epicycle into what is otherwise a coherent account of social justice in particular and political morality in general.
1998, Paul Joseph Kelly, Impartiality, Neutrality and Justice: Re-reading Brian Barry’s Justice as Impartiality, page 12:If two chronicles seemed contradictory, instead of trying to choose between them, a rationalization (epicycle) was devised to cover both.
1978, The Journal of the Siam Society, volumes 66-67, page 152:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| epicycles | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Coordinates
Deriveds
Relateds
Heath Robinson contraption · Rube Goldberg machine · ad hoc hypothesis
Translations (39)
ca epicicle (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · nl epicykels (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · uk епіцикл (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · sa नीचोच्चवृत्त (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · ru эпицикл (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · cmn 本輪 /本轮 (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · fi episykli (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · is hjáhringur (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · is aukahringur (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · gv far-chiarkyl (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · fa فلک تدویر (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · ar فَلَك التَّدوِير (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · ja 周転円 (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · kea epiciclo (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · pt epiciclo (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · ml അധിചക്രം (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · sv epicykel (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · kea episiklu (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · de Epizykel (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · sa वृत्त (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · no episyklus (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · gv far-chiarkyl (any circle whose circumference rolls around that of another circle) · sk epicyklus (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · bg епицикълът (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · es epiciclo (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · fa تدویر (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · fr épicycle (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · pl epicykl (any circle whose circumference rolls around that of another circle) · cs epicykl (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · it epiciclo (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · io epiciklo (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · grc ἐπίκυκλος (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · he אפיציקל (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · fi episykli (any circle whose circumference rolls around that of another circle) · la epicyclus (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · da epicykel (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · ta எபி வட்டம் (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · pl epicykl (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle) · bg епицикъл (a small circle whose centre is on the circumference of a larger circle)