pulley

noun

pul·ley | \ˈpu̇-lē

plural pulleys

Definition of pulley

1 : a sheave or small wheel with a grooved rim and with or without the block in which it runs used singly with a rope or chain to change the direction and point of application of a pulling force and in various combinations to increase the applied force especially for lifting weights

2 : a pulley or pulleys with ropes to form a tackle that constitutes one of the simple machines

3 : a wheel used to transmit power by means of a band, belt, cord, rope, or chain passing over its rim

Examples of pulley in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Join rope ends in a sheet bend between the flag clips to stop the rope knot from snagging in the pulley. — Harry Sawyers, Popular Mechanics, "How to Set Up a Flagpole," 28 May 2010 But that will take volunteers who will manage the scope and, most importantly, work the pulleys and ropes required to rotate the observatory’s dome. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Now That the Smog Has Lifted, Astronomy Returns to London’s Royal Observatory," 28 June 2018 Place food in a tray, and the coatimundi will pull it up with a rope and pulley. — Vincent Crampton, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Explore Florida's Hernando County: This roadside attraction is alive and kicking," 6 May 2018 Shahpour Pouyan’s ‘Incarnation of the Body Politic’ contains elements of a trebuchet and a guillotine but lacks the ropes and pulleys needed to function. — Kelly Crow, WSJ, "High Tech Meets High Art at the Armory Show," 5 Mar. 2018 The park’s Technical Rescue Team used ropes and pulleys to lift the basket up the trail, according to the newspaper. — Joe Marusak, charlotteobserver, "Woman was hiking at popular 80-foot mountain waterfall. Then she slipped.," 11 June 2018 Rescuers created a pulley system, harnessing the riders in the dangling front car and hoisting them before lowering them to the ground, the Fire Department said. — Jeff Weiner, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Roller coaster derails in Daytona Beach, six injured in accident," 15 June 2018 They fastened construction grade Tyvek, a non-tearable, white synthetic material, to PVC pipes filled with foam and attached it to the pulley’s 1,500 feet of rope. — Kristina Goetz, The Courier-Journal, "Thunder Over Louisville has never been canceled. But there were some harrowing close calls," 20 Apr. 2018 Convertible cycling garments frequently involved hardware such as weighted pulleys, hooks, and elaborate straps. — Christine Ro, The Atlantic, "How Cycling Clothing Opened Doors for Women," 15 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pulley.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.