from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Carnot's cycle \Car`not's" cy"cle\ (k[aum]r`n[=o]z"). [After N.
L. S. Carnot, French physicist.] (Thermodynamics)
An ideal heat-engine cycle in which the working fluid goes
through the following four successive operations: (1)
Isothermal expansion to a desired point; (2) adiabatic
expansion to a desired point; (3) isothermal compression to
such a point that (4) adiabatic compression brings it back to
its initial state.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]