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life cycle
noun
1
: the series of stages in form and functional activity through which an organism passes between successive recurrences of a specified primary stage
3
: a series of stages through which something (such as an individual, culture, or manufactured product) passes during its lifetime
Examples of life cycle in a Sentence
the life cycle of a shark
Recent Examples on the Web
Given the effectiveness of this tactic in the SolarWinds supply chain attack or Kaseya ransomware events, MSPs need robust approaches and investments in protecting software development life cycles, CI/CD pipelines and distribution networks in addition to general best practices.
—Sean McElroy, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Although electric vehicles emit less CO2 than other cars over their life cycle, lithium-ion batteries wind up in landfills since recycling them is harder than creating new ones.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 18 Oct. 2024
The oldest tadpole reveals evolutionary stability of the anuran life cycle.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
The two-stage life cycle–when the aquatic tadpole changes into an adult form–is one of the main characteristics of anurans.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 30 Oct. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1855, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near life cycle
Cite this Entry
“Life cycle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/life%20cycle. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
life cycle
noun1
: the series of stages of form and activity through which a living thing passes from a beginning stage (as an egg) in one individual to the same stage in its offspring
Medical Definition
life cycle
noun1
: the series of stages in form and functional activity through which an organism passes between successive recurrences of a specified primary stage
More from Merriam-Webster on life cycle
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about life cycle
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