What does "bicycle" mean?
A vehicle that has two primary 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.
Bicycle
/ˈbaɪsɪk(ə)l/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A vehicle that has two primary 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.
- Grammar: bicycle is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: bike, cycle, bike, bike.
- Useful contrasts: autos, bike, bikes.
- Usage evidence: I will give you a bicycle for your birthday.
How to use "bicycle"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bicycle" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "bicycle" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "bicycle" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "bicycle" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "bicycle" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "bike" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "bicycle", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A vehicle that has two primary 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.
"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."
- 2 a wheeled vehicle that has two wheels and is moved by foot pedals wordnet
- 3 Any similar vehicle powered by human pedaling or steered with a handlebar, regardless of the number of wheels. broadly, proscribed, sometimes
"The small, three-wheeled bicycle-type vehicle is probably the lowest-cost set of wheels for routine, in-park patrol use."
- 4 A traveling block used on a cable in skidding logs.
- 5 The best possible hand in lowball.
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 A motorbike. Australia, British, New-Zealand
- 7 A slut; a promiscuous woman. slang, vulgar
"‘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. [...]’"
- 8 A stabilizing technique in which one foot is pushed down while the other is pulled up.
- 9 The wheel: either the lowest straight (A-2-3-4-5) or the best low hand in Lowball or High-low poker. slang
- 10 A bicyclic molecule.
- 11 Two interconnected metabolic cycles.
"The fumarate produced in the argininosuccinase reaction is also an intermediate of the citric acid cycle. Thus, the cycles are, in principle, interconnected — in a process dubbed the “Krebs bicycle”."
Verb
- 1 To travel or exercise using a bicycle. ambitransitive
"“At least it cannot be your health," said he, as his keen eyes darted over her; "so ardent a bicyclist must be full of energy.” […] “Yes, I bicycle a good deal, Mr. Holmes, and that has something to do with my visit to you to-day.”"
- 2 ride a bicycle wordnet
- 3 To physically ship (a recorded programme) to another broadcasting entity. historical, transitive
"“Bicycling” defeated the possibility of topicality, a prime production habit of the network-trained production executives staffing the new entity."
Example
"I will give you a bicycle for your birthday."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "bicycle"?
Common synonyms include: bike, cycle, bike, bike, bikes, bus.
How do you use "bicycle" in a sentence?
I will give you a bicycle for your birthday.
How do you pronounce "bicycle"?
Pronounced /ˈbaɪsɪk(ə)l/.
Etymology
Borrowed from French bicycle (modern bicyclette), from bi- (“two”) + cycle (“cycle”). By surface analysis, bi- + cycle. First attested in English in 1868, and in French in 1847. (promiscuous woman): From double meaning of ride ("to transport oneself upon" vs. "to mount someone to have sex with them"). A communal bicycle would have many riders.