late 14c., recuren, "to recover from illness or suffering" (a sense now obsolete); mid-15c., "to return" (to or into a place), from Latin recurrere "to return, run back, hasten back," figuratively "revert, recur," from re- "back, again" (see re-) + currere "to run" (from PIE root *kers- "to run"). Originally of persons; application to thoughts, ideas, etc., "return to the mind," is recorded from 1620s. Meaning "happen again" is from 1670s. Related: Recurred; recurring.
"returning," 1711, present-participle adjective from recur.
"return, backward movement," 1610s, from Latin recursionem (nominative recursio) "a running backward, return," noun of action from past-participle stem of recurrere "run back" (see recur).
"returning from time to time, reappearing, repeated," 1660s, from French recurrent (16c.) and directly from Latin recurrentem (nominative recurrens), present participle of recurrere "run back, hasten back, return" (see recur). From 1590s as a noun ("recurrent artery or nerve," one turned back on itself).
Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to run."
It forms all or part of: car; career; cargo; caricature; cark; carpenter; carriage; carrier; carry; charabanc; charette; charge; chariot; concourse; concur; concurrent; corral; corridor; corsair; courant; courier; course; currency; current; curriculum; cursive; cursor; cursory; discharge; discourse; encharge; excursion; hussar; incur; intercourse; kraal; miscarry; occur; precursor; recourse; recur; succor.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Greek -khouros "running;" Latin currere "to run, move quickly;" Lithuanian karšiu, karšti "go quickly;"Old Irish and Middle Welsh carr "cart, wagon," Breton karr "chariot," Welsh carrog "torrent;" Old Norse horskr "swift."
"periodic character, tendency to recur at regular intervals of time," 1805, from French périodicité (1796), from périodique, from Late Latin periodicus "that returns at stated times" (see periodic).
1842, "revolve in cycles, occur or recur in cycles," from cycle (n.). Meaning "to ride a bicycle" is by 1881 (implied in cycling). Related: Cycled.
c. 1600, of or pertaining to Dionysos (Latin Dionysus), Greek god of wine and revelry, identified with Roman Bacchus. His name is of unknown origin. In some cases a reference to historical men named Dionysius, such as the two tyrants of that name of Syracuse, both notorious for cruelty, or Dionysius Exiguus, 6th c. Scythian monk who invented the Anno Domini era (see A.D.). The reference is to him in Dionysian period, a measure of 532 Julian years, at the end of which the full moons recur on the same days of the year.
