peloton

noun

pel·​o·​ton ˌpe-lə-ˈtän 

ˈpe-lə-ˌtän

: the main body of riders in a bicycle race

Did you know?

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

He broke away from the peloton and sprinted into the lead.

Recent Examples on the Web

The unstoppable Baeza had steamed away strongly from the peloton of sixteen runners swimming in the mud behind him and was blazing up on the outside, deep in a furious bid to run Journalism down. —Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025

Other drivers were content to follow in the peloton. —ArsTechnica, 16 Apr. 2025

As is becoming clear, the carbohydrate revolution that Roche is championing has become commonplace in the professional peloton. —Devin Kelly, Outside Online, 3 Apr. 2025

At Flanders, the peloton’s big and brawny racers like Flemish hero Wout van Aert or Dutch racer Mathieu van der Poel get to shine. —Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 2 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, ball — more at platoon

First Known Use

1951, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for peloton

• multiphoton
• oaten

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