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Glite Dictionary
🔄 More than one cycle 🔄 Repeated cycles
multicycle

multicycle

6.9
Happening over more than one cycle in a computer or machine
  • adjective
  • Specialized
translation icon : multiciclo
  • One of the FXU units is specialized in executing complex, multicycle integer instructions such as multiplication and division.
  • multicycle operations

Examples

  • For example, the FXU can proceed to execute register-to-register and load/store operations even when the FPU is working on multicycle arithmetic operations, such as divide or square root.

    Academic text (1994)

  • The new processor design allows for efficient handling of multicycle tasks that require several stages of execution.

  • Both POWER2 FXU execution units work together on multicycle load/store operations.

    Academic text (1994)

  • While one MAF unit is consumed for many cycles because of multicycle operations, such as divide or square-root instructions, the instruction queue should be able to feed the other unit with independent instructions.

    Academic text (1994)

  • In the latest update, the software can optimize multicycle operations to improve overall performance.

  • Engineers prefer to use multicycle methods in complex calculations to ensure accuracy over many processing cycles.

Synonyms

cyclical
vsmulticycle
28 5.1

Happening again and again at regular times

is oriented to technical processes that span multiple cycles
iterative
vsmulticycle
5 6.6

Happening again and again to improve something

focuses on the process spanning several cycles rather than mere repetition
cyclic
vsmulticycle
5 4.8

Happens repeatedly in a regular pattern

stresses processes that take place across more than one cycle
multistep
vsmulticycle
1 4.4

Having several stages that happen one after another

covers repeated cycles as a whole, not only a series of steps
multiturn
vsmulticycle
  • Specialized
6.8

Needing more than one full turn to change a setting

is the general label for processes spanning several cycles in engineering
polycyclic
vsmulticycle
  • Specialized
8.2

Having several stages that repeat over time

is used more broadly in engineering and computing, not only science
multistage
vsmulticycle
5.5

A machine or process that has more than one stage

highlights activity across multiple cycles rather than just sequential stages

Antonyms

monocyclic
  • Specialized
9.0

Having only one closed path in a graph

How Repetitive

continuous
141 3.7
iterative
5 6.6
recurrent
12 4.7
multicycle
  • Specialized
6.9

Surface Forms

multicycle positive

Morphology

multicycle = cycle (transparent) = multi + cycle

The meaning is directly compositional: 'multi-' means many or more than one, and 'cycle' keeps its ordinary sense.

Etymology

Multicycle comes from the parts multi- 'many' and cycle 'turn' or 'circle', like in bicycle. So in computing a multicycle operation is one that needs more than one clock cycle to finish.