treadmill

noun

tread·mill | \ ˈtred-ˌmil

Definition of treadmill

1a : a device having an endless belt on which an individual walks or runs in place for exercise or physiological testing

b : a mill worked by an animal treading an endless belt

c : a mill worked by persons treading on steps on the periphery of a wide wheel having a horizontal axis and used formerly in prison punishment

2 : a wearisome or monotonous routine resembling continued activity on a treadmill the office treadmill

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Examples of treadmill in a Sentence

the treadmill of exhausting family schedules the treadmill of the morning commute to work

Recent Examples on the Web

Hashtagged posts of treadmill stats and workout selfies show that the walking goal is now officially starting to take off. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "See What 'Counting On' Star Anna Duggar Looks Like After Doing a 50-Mile Walking Challenge," 19 Mar. 2019 The days began with a weight lifting series, afternoons were packed with high intensity treadmill sprints followed by a 30-to-45 minute session on her Peloton bike in the evening. — Jenna Rennert, Vogue, "Ciara Reveals Her Transformative Post-Baby Fitness Routine," 14 Mar. 2019 Heart-pumping examples include indoor cycling, kickboxing, HIIT classes, dance cardio, treadmill classes, rowing classes, and more. — Alexa Tucker, SELF, "How Often Should You Work Out? The Perfect Weekly Workout Routine," 1 Jan. 2019 In the cycling studio, 12 instructors record classes about eight to 12 times a week each, in front of a live group of actual riders at an NYC studio; a separate treadmill studio is ramping up its offerings as the treads start to ship. — Cheryl Wischhover, Vox, "Peloton’s $2,000 stationary bike has totally disrupted working out at home," 14 Nov. 2018 Great for treadmill time, or during a couple of connecting flights. — Author: Hank Stuever, Anchorage Daily News, "Summer is the right time for those TV shows you’ve heard about, but never got around to watching," 14 June 2018 One photo shows Ari on a treadmill (or elliptical, hard to tell) with Apple’s 1999 original orange iBook (yes, the exact same one Elle Woods outstandingly rocks at Harvard Law). — Sara Delgado, Glamour, "Ariana Grande's 'Thank U, Next' Video Will Reference Legally Blonde, Mean Girls, 13 Going on 30, and Bring It On," 24 Nov. 2018 One photo shows Ari on a treadmill (or elliptical, hard to tell) with Apple’s 1999 original orange iBook (yes, the exact same one Elle Woods outstandingly rocks at Harvard Law). — Sara Delgado, Teen Vogue, "Ariana Grande's "Thank U, Next" Music Video Will Reference "Legally Blonde," "Mean Girls," and "13 Going on 30"," 20 Nov. 2018 In a 2012 study, 56 people wore six different activity monitors and compared the number of steps detected at different walking speeds under free-living conditions (aka, off the treadmill). — Elizabeth Narins, Cosmopolitan, "8 Ways You're Using Your Fitness Tracker Wrong," 25 Aug. 2014

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

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Dictionary Entries near treadmill

tread on (someone's) toes

tread on the toes of (someone)

tread plate

Statistics for treadmill

Last Updated

12 Apr 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for treadmill

The first known use of treadmill was in 1822

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More Definitions for treadmill

treadmill

noun

English Language Learners Definition of treadmill

: an exercise machine which has a large belt that moves around while a person walks or runs on it

: a boring or tiring activity, job, etc., in which you repeatedly do the same things

See the full definition for treadmill in the English Language Learners Dictionary

treadmill

noun

tread·mill | \ ˈtred-ˌmil

Kids Definition of treadmill

1 : a device having an endless belt on which an individual walks or runs in place for exercise

2 : a tiresome routine

treadmill

noun

tread·mill | \ ˈtred-ˌmil

Medical Definition of treadmill

: a device having an endless belt on which an individual walks or runs in place that is used for exercise and in tests of physiological functions — see stress test