treader

English

Etymology

From Middle English tredere, equivalent to tread +‎ -er. Cognate with Middle Dutch treder (“treader”), Middle Low German trēdære, trēder (“treader, bellows kicker”), Middle High German tretære, treter (“treader”) (whence German Treter (“old shoe, footballer”)).

Noun

treader (plural treaders)

1. One who treads.
2. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) (UK, Oxford, slang) A bicycle.
   • 1958, Dominic Reeve, Smoke in the Lanes, London: Constable & Co.; republished London: The Country Book Club, 1959, page 82:

     Why, he weren’t no more’n knocked offen his treader. An’ now he’ve rid off home on it!

   • 1996 June 6, Ben Summers, “Saddle-weary commuters left with a sore deal”, in The Independent‎^[1], London, page 6:

     The Royal Academy has just two orange hoops on to which four early-bird visitors can chain their treaders. It is left to the railings outside for the rest.

   • 2015 July 25, Richard Batson, “Family set for 156-mile charity ride in memory of Holt doctor”, in Eastern Daily Press‎^[2], Norwich:

     He set off from Oxford on a standard old "treader" bike, often at night – navigating by the stars and napping under a hedge if got^[sic] tired on his way to Holt.

Derived terms

• marsh treader

 

Anagrams

• rerated, retrade, retread