Treadle
noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A foot-operated pedal or lever that generates motion.
"There is an inconspicuous treadle let into the floor and when you step on it an air-operated door-opening mechanism is automatically activated; [...]."
- 2 a lever that is operated with the foot wordnet
- 3 A device actuated by wheels passing over it.
"As a car enters the parking area the front wheels pass over a treadle, causing a timber barrier to lift and allow the motorist to drive in and park. No money is required at this stage. As the car passes over a second treadle, just beyond the entrance, the barrier falls again."
- 4 Chalaza.
- 1 To use a treadle. intransitive
- 2 operate (machinery) by a treadle wordnet
- 3 tread over wordnet
Example
More examples"There is an inconspicuous treadle let into the floor and when you step on it an air-operated door-opening mechanism is automatically activated; [...]."
Etymology
From Middle English tredel, from Old English tredel; equivalent to tread + -le.
More for "treadle"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.