Carnot's cycle /(kär`nōz")/

Car·not's· cy·cle

Carnot's cycle
  1. 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. (Thermodynamics)