plural bikes
Synonyms of bikenext
1
: bicycle
They watch a middle-aged man pedal by on his bike, the carrier filled to the brim with its own pile of collectables.—Joanne Ramondt
2
: motorcycle
More than 100,000 motorcyclists are expected to descend on tiny Sturgis, S.D., this week for the annual Black Hills Motor Classic, the country's biggest bike rally.—Newsweek
3
: motorbike
Yes, those are motorbikes racing around an ice track. No, that doesn't mean you should take your motorbike out on some ice and ride as fast as you can. These ice racers are serious. They modify their bikes to perform on the slippery surface provided by the great Michigan outdoors.—Jessica Shepherd
4
: stationary bicycle
It's four in the morning and DeBartolo is already whirring away on the exercise bike. He'll ride and read for 90 minutes without stopping, then hit the rowing machine, then the stair-climber.—Rick Reilly

bike

2 of 3

verb

biked; biking

intransitive verb

: to ride a bike

bike

3 of 3

noun (2)

plural bikes
1
chiefly Scotland : a nest of wild bees, wasps, or hornets
2
chiefly Scotland : a crowd or swarm of people

Examples of bike in a Sentence

Noun (1) likes to ride her mountain bike on weekends Verb We biked to the park. He bikes in the mountains. the boisterous bike that annually descends upon Edinburgh for the Fringe
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
The hotel’s complimentary car service covers a three-mile radius—including the Montrose and River Oaks communities—and bikes are available to borrow. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026 If people are using PATCO from New Jersey, riders can use the BSL to travel to the bike ride. — Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
RVshare suggested hiking or biking a section of the Maah Daah Hey Trail and exploring the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 12 Oct. 2026 Additionally, several hikes remain accessible under the current closures only by hiking or biking to them. — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bike

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

by shortening & alteration

Noun (2)

Middle English

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1880, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1885, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bike.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bike. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Kids Definition

bike

noun
ˈbīk
bike verb
biker noun

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