Derailleur

//ˌdəˈɹeɪl.jə// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The mechanism on a bicycle used to move the chain from one sprocket (gear) to another.

    "The common rear derailleur designs all operate on the same principle. A moveable cage receives the chain returning from the chainwheel and directs it onto one sprocket of the cluster."

  2. 2
    The entire gearset on a bicycle with such a mechanism.

Example

More examples

"The common rear derailleur designs all operate on the same principle. A moveable cage receives the chain returning from the chainwheel and directs it onto one sprocket of the cluster."

Etymology

Borrowed from French dérailleur. Doublet of derailer.

Related phrases

derailleur hanger

More for "derailleur"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.