bicycle

1 of 2

noun

bi·​cy·​cle ˈbī-si-kəl 

-ˌsi-,

 also  -ˌsī-

: a vehicle with two wheels tandem, handlebars for steering, a saddle seat, and pedals by which it is propelled

also : a stationary exercise machine that resembles such a vehicle

bicycle

2 of 2

verb

bicycled; bicycling ˈbī-si-k(ə-)liŋ 

-ˌsi-,

 also  -ˌsī-

intransitive verb

: to ride a bicycle

transitive verb

: to move (one's legs) as if pedaling a bicycle

Naomi and I lay on the bed, bicycling our legs in the air in the lazy giggly manner of summer …

—Sophie Masson

bicycler

ˈbī-si-klər 

-ˌsi-

 also  -ˌsī-

noun

bicyclist

ˈbī-si-klist 

-ˌsi-

 also  -ˌsī-

noun

Synonyms

Noun

• bike

Examples of bicycle in a Sentence

Noun

the range of the boy's explorations vastly expanded when he acquired his first bicycle

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Cars, motor-scooters and bicycles roar away from the curbs, and another week of the great apartment grope has begun. —Nicholas Pileggi, Curbed, 15 Aug. 2025

For example, some cellphone holders, such as those that clamp to bicycle handlebars, are more correctly labeled as cellphone mounts. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2025

Verb

Kristin Noel David, a 22-year-old senior at the University of Idaho, vanished on a sunny summer day in 1981 while bicycling along a quiet stretch of Idaho highway. —Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2025

Anyone who has driven or bicycled around Indianapolis recently has doubtless had to swerve to avoid a pothole — or fallen into one. —Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 7 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French, from bi- + -cycle (as in tricycle)

First Known Use

Noun

1868, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1869, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing bicycle

• bicycle shorts
• electric bicycle
• exercise bicycle
• mountain bicycle
• stationary bicycle
• tandem bicycle

Rhymes for bicycle

• icicle

Kids Definition

bicycle

1 of 2 noun

bi·​cy·​cle ˈbī-ˌsik-əl 

-ˌsīk-

: a light vehicle with two wheels behind one another, handlebars, a saddle seat, and pedals by which it is made to move

bicycle

2 of 2 verb

bicycled; bicycling -ˌsik(-ə)-liŋ 

: to ride a bicycle

bicycler

-lər 

noun

bicyclist

-ləst 

noun