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If you've ever watched the Tour de France on television, you've seen the peloton, the brightly colored pack of riders making up the central group. You may have also gained some inadvertent insight into the word itself, which as you may have guessed is French in origin. In French, "peloton" literally means "ball," but it is most often used with the meaning "group." It's frequently used in the bicycling context, just as in English, but it can also refer to a group in a marathon or other sporting event. French peloton can also mean "squad" or "platoon," and since we’ve told you that you probably won’t be too surprised to learn that it is also the source of our word platoon.
Examples of peloton in a Sentence
CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025
Plenty of big names have switched hands, with Remco Evenepoel’s departure from Soudal-Quickstep dominating both the conversation and landscape of the peloton.
—Jessica Hopkins, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2025
In fact, the median annual Teton County income is just $141,500, but still more than anyone in our peloton was making.
—Denver Post, 11 Aug. 2025
The team also retains Tim Merlier, one of the strongest sprinters in the current peloton and two-time stage winner at this year’s Tour de France.
—Sophie Kaufman, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for peloton
Cite this Entry
“Peloton.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peloton. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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