scooter

noun scoot·er \ ˈskü-tər \

Updated on: 10 Apr 2018

Definition of scooter

1 : a child's foot-operated vehicle consisting of a narrow footboard mounted between two wheels tandem with an upright steering handle attached to the front wheel

2 : motor scooter

See scooter defined for English-language learners

See scooter defined for kids

Recent Examples of scooter from the Web

Among the firms seeking to fill this gap is Zego, which sprang up to serve scooter couriers such as those working for Deliveroo, a food-delivery service.

— The Economist, "Insurance and the gig economy," 5 Apr. 2018
That could, perhaps, include scooter infrastructure.

— aarian marshall, WIRED, "As Shared Scooters Invade, Cities Must Decide Whose Vehicles Belong Where," 4 Apr. 2018
Bird, a Southern California scooter company, is rolling into Washington.

— luz lazo, Washington Post, "Bird scooters roll out in D.C. and its executive wants to ‘Save Our Sidewalks’," 28 Mar. 2018
Over the weekend, a new front opened in the transportation battle: Dozens of Bird and LimeBike scooters appeared on the streets of San Francisco.

— eliot brown, WSJ, "Dockless Bike Share Floods into U.S. Cities, With Rides and Clutter," 26 Mar. 2018
In an effort to gauge interest in the scooter program, LimeBike set up a voting portal on its website.

— lavendrick smith, charlotteobserver, "Dockless bikes are all over uptown. Could scooters be next for Charlotte? | Charlotte Observer," 23 Mar. 2018
The revelations come as dockless bike and scooter rental companies have flooded downtown in recent weeks, putting hundreds of new riders, often without helmets, on the road.

— joshua emerson smith, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Faulconer calls for premium bike lanes downtown, likely delaying marquee project by years," 19 Mar. 2018
Drivers are trained to assist riders into vehicles, and can accommodate folding wheelchairs, walkers, and scooters.

— maria clark, NOLA.com, "Uber launches service nationally to help patients get to the doctor," 2 Mar. 2018
No scooter trip down to the French Quarter followed by thousands of people singing When the Saints Go Marching In.

— kevin mcgill, The Seattle Times, "Analysis: A Graham story, better than fiction," 25 Feb. 2018

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

First Known Use of scooter

1916

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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SCOOTER Defined for English Language Learners

scooter

noun

Definition of scooter for English Language Learners

: a child's vehicle that is made of a narrow board with two small wheels attached underneath and an upright handle attached on top and that is moved by pushing with one foot while holding onto the handle

SCOOTER Defined for Kids

scooter

noun scoot·er \ ˈskü-tər \

Definition of scooter for Students

1 : a vehicle consisting of a narrow rectangular base mounted between a front and a back wheel, guided by a handle attached to the front wheel, and moved by the rider pushing off with one foot

2 : motor scooter