pulley

noun

pul·​ley ˈpu̇-lē 

plural pulleys

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

Illustration of pulley

• pulley 2

Examples of pulley in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

So why do the Big Four continue to use such an elaborate system of weights and pulleys to distribute their shows in an age when most of what people watch on TV now comes via streaming? —Josef Adalian, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025

The cables run through pulleys on small metal brackets that slide into rails on the machine’s frame and mat. —PC Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025

In that job and the recent repair effort, workers rigged steel cables and pulleys into nearby trees to lift the 10,000-pound bridge, Doran said. —Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2025

The rescue system, often referred to as a pin kit or z-drag, is a complex arrangement of pulleys and lines that provides humans with a mechanical advantage against the force of the river. —Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 13 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English poley, pully, from Anglo-French pulie, probably ultimately from Greek polos axis, pole — more at pole

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing pulley

• idler pulley

Rhymes for pulley

• bully
• fully
• woolly
• wooly

Kids Definition

pulley

noun

pul·​ley ˈpu̇l-ē 

plural pulleys

: a small wheel with a grooved rim used with a rope or chain to change the direction of a pulling force and in combination to increase the force applied for lifting

Medical Definition

pulley

noun

pul·​ley ˈpu̇l-ē 

: trochlea