bike

1 of 3

noun (1)

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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
How to Get Around There are a number of ways to explore Reykjavik, but walking, taking public transportation, and hopping on a bike or scooter tend to be the most efficient. Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 30 Nov. 2024 Lasting between two-and-a-half to three hours on average, Road Raves weave through a network of bike lanes and side streets, with brief stops at the key sites connected to the theme of the day’s route, Grosspietsch said. Sylvan Lebrun, Chicago Tribune, 29 Nov. 2024
Verb
Debra Staples was biking along with her husband when the two became separated on a trail at around 9:30 a.m. local time in the remote park in far west Texas on Tuesday, Nov. 26, according to a Texas Parks and Wildlife (TWP) news release. Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 2 Dec. 2024 Those staying the night can take their pick of 18 rooms including three spacious private-access deck suites, and have access to various seasonal activities from fishing to biking to skiing. Anna Haines, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near bike

Cite this Entry

“Bike.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bike. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

bike

noun
ˈbīk
bike verb
biker noun

More from Merriam-Webster on bike

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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