pulley

noun

pul·​ley ˈpu̇-lē How to pronounce pulley (audio)
plural pulleys
1
: a sheave or small wheel with a grooved rim and with or without the block in which it runs used singly with a rope or chain to change the direction and point of application of a pulling force and in various combinations to increase the applied force especially for lifting weights
2
: a pulley or pulleys with ropes to form a tackle that constitutes one of the simple machines
3
: a wheel used to transmit power by means of a band, belt, cord, rope, or chain passing over its rim

Illustration of pulley

Illustration of pulley
  • pulley 2

Examples of pulley in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The employee needed to take the buckets to the second floor of a building using a scaffold pulley system. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2024 There are no lifts or pulleys, so the only way to travel the silo's 144 floors is by foot, and there are no lenses above a certain magnification. Ars Staff, Ars Technica, 29 Dec. 2023 Each of those pulleys is on a one-way bearing so that when torque is put on the cranks (to go faster or climb a hill), the springs compress, the pulleys fold in, and the whole front element becomes smaller. Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 30 Nov. 2023 The middle schoolers then learned about the pulleys used for tree climbing by playing a game of tug-of-war. Emily Sohn, Outside Online, 14 Mar. 2023 One group of pulleys drives the blades, another group powers a pair of transmissions–one at each rear wheel. Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 1 Mar. 2023 His left leg was trapped under a boulder on a steep hillside with loose, rocky terrain, and the team used ropes and pulleys to shift the boulder enough so the hiker could be freed. Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 10 Dec. 2023 Rodriguez, the ace of the staff, has a ruptured pulley in his left index finger. Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press, 3 June 2023 But then, the troops began to spot telltale signs, like pulley systems next to buildings. Justin Scheck, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pulley.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English poley, pully, from Anglo-French pulie, probably ultimately from Greek polos axis, pole — more at pole

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pulley was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near pulley

Cite this Entry

“Pulley.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pulley. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pulley

noun
pul·​ley ˈpu̇l-ē How to pronounce pulley (audio)
plural pulleys
: a small wheel with a grooved rim used with a rope or chain to change the direction of a pulling force and in combination to increase the force applied for lifting

Medical Definition

pulley

noun
pul·​ley ˈpu̇l-ē How to pronounce pulley (audio)

More from Merriam-Webster on pulley

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