bicycle
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English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from French bicycle (modern bicyclette), from bi- (“bi-; two”) + cycle (“cycle”). First attested in English in 1868, and in French in 1847.
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
bicycle (plural bicycles)
- A vehicle that has two wheels, one behind the other, a steering handle, and a saddle seat or seats and is usually propelled by the action of a rider’s feet upon pedals.
- Synonyms: bike (clipping), pushbike, velocipede (historical); see also Thesaurus:bicycle
- Hypernym: cycle
- 1882, “Principle in Small Things”, in Popular Science Monthly, volume 22, page 274:
- In most English villages, as we are informed, bicycles are not allowed on the sidewalks; and the hand-books issued by English manufacturers of bicycles caution their customers that it is a forbidden practice, while in many places bells have to be attached to the bicycles even when ridden in the streets.
- A traveling block used on a cable in skidding logs.
- The best possible hand in lowball.
- (Britain, Australia, New Zealand) A motorbike.
- (vulgar slang, usually in compounds specifying a context) a slut; a promiscuous woman
- 2002, Minette Walters, Fox Evil, Macmillan, page 162-3:
- ‘What sort of bullying does this sergeant go in for?’ ‘Character assassination,’ she said in a matter-of-fact tone that belied the very real difficulties it was causing her. ‘There’s a lot of whispering about slags and tarts behind my back and sniggers whenever I appear. Half of the men seem to think I’m a dyke who needs curing, the other half think I’m the platoon bicycle. [...]’
Derived terms[edit]
- antibicycle
- autobicycle
- a woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle
- balance bicycle
- bicycle bridge
- bicycle clip
- bicycle helmet
- bicycle kick
- bicycle lane
- bicyclelike
- bicycle mail
- bicycle motocross
- bicycle path
- bicycle pump
- bicycler
- bicycle rack
- bicycle roundabout
- bicycle stand
- bicycle tire
- bicycle touring
- bicycle tourist
- bicyclian
- bicyclism
- bicyclist
- exercise bicycle
- fixed-gear bicycle
- like riding a bicycle
- lowrider bicycle
- motorbicycle
- recumbent bicycle
- ride the cotton bicycle
- safety bicycle
- stationary bicycle
- tandem bicycle
- town bicycle
- village bicycle
- water bicycle
Related terms[edit]
Descendants[edit]
Translations[edit]
vehicle
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
Translations to be checked
Verb[edit]
bicycle (third-person singular simple present bicycles, present participle bicycling, simple past and past participle bicycled)
- (intransitive) To travel or exercise using a bicycle.
Translations[edit]
to ride a bicycle
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French[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
bicycle m (plural bicycles)
- bicycle
- Synonym: bicyclette
Derived terms[edit]
Descendants[edit]
- → English: bicycle
Further reading[edit]
- “bicycle” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
Categories:
- English terms borrowed from French
- English terms derived from French
- French words prefixed with bi-
- English 3-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with quotations
- British English
- Australian English
- New Zealand English
- English vulgarities
- English slang
- English verbs
- English intransitive verbs
- English hybridisms
- en:Cycling
- en:Two
- en:Vehicles
- French 2-syllable words
- French terms with IPA pronunciation
- French lemmas
- French nouns
- French masculine nouns
- French countable nouns