Adjacent Words

bicycle definitions

	Tweet

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a wheeled vehicle that has two wheels and is moved by foot pedals [syn: bicycle, bike, wheel, cycle] v
1: ride a bicycle [syn: bicycle, cycle, bike, pedal, wheel]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: French, from bi- + -cycle (as in tricycle) Date: 1863 a vehicle with two wheels tandem, handlebars for steering, a saddle seat, and pedals by which it is propelled; also a stationary exercise machine that resembles such a vehicle II. intransitive verb (bicycled; bicycling) Date: 1869 to ride a bicycle • bicycler noun • bicyclist noun

Britannica Concise

Lightweight, two-wheeled, steerable machine that is propelled by the rider. The wheels are mounted in a metal frame, and the front wheel is held in a movable fork. The rider sits on a saddle and steers by handlebars attached to the fork, propelling the bicycle by two pedals attached to cranks that turn a driving sprocket. An endless chain transmits power from the driving sprocket to a back-wheel sprocket. A heavy pedalless form built in 1818 was propelled simply by the rider paddling his feet against the ground. In 1839 the Scottish blacksmith Kirkpatrick Macmillan (1813-1878) built a bicycle propelled by pedals, cranks, and drive rods; he is widely credited with inventing the bicycle. Important innovations were introduced by Pierre and Ernest Michaux in France in 1861, and by 1865 their company was manufacturing 400 vé locipè des a year. A lighter version produced in England in 1870 (nicknamed the "penny-farthing") featured a large front wheel and small back wheel. By the 1890s the standard bicycle design was established, and with the smooth ride enabled by the new pneumatic tires its popularity exploded. 20th-cent. improvements included lighter frames and improved gears and brakes. Widely used throughout the world, it is a basic means of transportation in many countries. See also bicycle industry.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. a vehicle of two wheels held in a frame one behind the other, propelled by pedals and steered with handlebars attached to the front wheel. --v.intr. ride a bicycle. Phrases and idioms: bicycle-chain a chain transmitting power from the bicycle pedals to the wheels. bicycle-clip either of two metal clips used to confine a cyclist's trousers at the ankle. bicycle-pump a portable pump for inflating bicycle tyres. Derivatives: bicycler n. bicyclist n. Etymology: F f. BI- + Gk kuklos wheel

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bicycle Bi"cy*cle, n. [Pref. bi- + cycle.] A light vehicle having two wheels one behind the other. It has a saddle seat and is propelled by the rider's feet acting on cranks or levers.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(bicycles) A bicycle is a vehicle with two wheels which you ride by sitting on it and pushing two pedals with your feet. You steer it by turning a bar that is connected to the front wheel. = bike N-COUNT

Moby Thesaurus

bike, bus, catch a train, chauffeur, chopper, cycle, drive, entrain, go by rail, iron, joyride, make a train, minibike, motocycle, motor, motorbike, motorcycle, pedal, pedicab, pig, ride, road-bike, take a joyride, taxi, trail bike, tricycle, trike, two-wheeler, velocipede, wheel