What does cyclo mean?
A cyclo is a three-wheeled, pedal-powered rickshaw used as a taxi, most closely associated with Vietnam and Cambodia, where it remains an iconic — if increasingly rare — feature of urban streets. The vehicle typically places the driver behind or beside the passenger seat, and its slow pace makes it popular with tourists seeking a leisurely view of bustling cities such as Hanoi and Phnom Penh. The word also exists in technical language as the combining form cyclo-, derived from the Greek kyklos, meaning circle or ring; chemists use it to indicate that atoms are joined in a closed loop, as in cyclohexane. Outside these contexts, 'cyclo' is uncommon on its own, though related words such as cycle, bicycle, and cyclone share the same root. For travellers, knowing the term is practical; for readers of science, recognising cyclo- unlocks a whole family of ring-shaped compounds.
A three-wheeled pedicab, propelled by pedalling, used to carry passengers for hire in Southeast Asia.
"A line of cyclos waited outside the temple, drivers chatting in the shade."
Usually applied to vehicles in Vietnam and Cambodia; elsewhere similar vehicles are called pedicabs or trishaws.
The combining form cyclo- indicates a circle or ring, especially in technical and scientific terms such as cyclohexane.
"Cyclonic storms take their name from the same circular idea embodied in the prefix cyclo-."
Always attached to another word or stem; never stands alone in scientific usage.
Standard English plural, used when referring to more than one of the vehicles.
"Dozens of cyclos circled the old market hoping for fares."
In Hanoi, a slow ride by cyclo isn't just transport — it's a front-row seat to the city's chaos at bicycle pace.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cyclo
The word traces back to the ancient Greek kyklos, meaning circle, wheel, or ring, which entered Latin as cyclus and gave English the combining form cyclo-. The standalone noun for the rickshaw arose in colonial-era Southeast Asia, adapting the existing cycle-related vocabulary to name the new vehicle. Its cousins in English include cycle, cyclone, bicycle, and encyclopedia, all ultimately descended from the same Greek root.
How cyclo is actually used
As a standalone word, 'cyclo' is chiefly associated with Southeast Asian travel writing and tourism, where it names the local pedicab; it is a countable noun with plural 'cyclos'. In technical registers, cyclo- appears almost exclusively as a prefix rather than an independent word.
Easily confused with cyclo
'Cycle' is the general English word for a circle, series of events, or a bicycle, while 'cyclo' specifically denotes a pedal-powered rickshaw of Southeast Asia.