bike

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈbīk 

plural bikes

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

Synonyms of bike

Noun (1)

• bicycle

Noun (2)

• crowd
• throng
• swarm
• flock
• horde
• army
• multitude
• mob

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

Noun

The hotel can arrange special things like a in-room Peloton bike or facilitate extra amenities to host a meeting in your suite. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Oct. 2026

Dozens of protesters, many of them young, dressed in black and wearing masks, threw rocks and firecrackers at police at the central Brussels railway station, before setting several fires, one to a pile of city bikes and electric scooters. — Mark Carlson, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Verb

Additionally, several hikes remain accessible under the current closures only by hiking or biking to them. — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026

Cadia Village Matthews will feature a community park with a performance stage, plus walking, running and biking paths throughout the community. — Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 8 Oct. 2026

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

Phrases Containing bike

• dirt bike
• e-bike
• electric bike
• exercise bike
• fat bike
• fixed-gear bike
• fixed-wheel bike
• mountain bike
• push-bike
• quad bike
• road bike
• trail bike

Rhymes for bike

• dike
• hike
• ike
• like
• mike
• psych
• pyke
• shrike
• spike
• strike
• tike
• alike

Kids Definition

bike

noun

ˈbīk

1

: bicycle entry 1

2

: motorcycle

bike verb

biker noun