Skip to main content
Cyclops

Cyclops

8.8
A tiny freshwater animal with one central eye like a water flea
  • noun
  • /ˈsaɪklɒps/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Cíclope

Examples

  • I don't like the Cyclops.

  • Same reason he felt guilty enough about misusing Cyclops that he apparently decided he wanted to make "Superman Returns" into "James Marsden Saves the Day, While Wet and in Tight Clothes."

    Blog text (18)
  • The small freshwater creature known as a Cyclops is often found swimming in ponds and lakes.

  • Scientists often study Cyclops to understand the ecology of freshwater ecosystems.

  • A Cyclops can be recognized by its distinctive single eye and small body.

Synonyms

copepod
vsCyclops
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A very small water animal like a tiny shrimp that swims in plankton or lives on fish

is a specific freshwater genus having a single central eye

Surface Forms

Cyclops singular
Cyclopses plural

Morphology

Cyclops = cycle (semi-transparent) = cyclo + ops

Scientific taxonomic use reflects Greek combining forms ('circle' + 'eye'); components give a recognisable hint but '-ops' is not a standalone English word.

Etymology

Cyclops as the name for a small water animal comes from the Greek parts kyklos 'circle' and ops 'eye'. Because these tiny crustaceans have a single central eye, scientists used the myth's name Cyclops to show they are 'one-eyed'.