archaic
as in bike
a two-wheeled vehicle that is propelled by the use of pedals and steered through the use of handlebars a museum with an interesting collection of 19th-century velocipedes

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of velocipede My next bike, the red-and-yellow Big Wheel, had a lot in common with a velocipede known as the penny-farthing, which was invented in the eighteen-seventies. The New Yorker, 23 May 2022 Oakland Pedal Tours offers free velocipede shuttles between breweries, which are also within walking distance. Lisa Herendeen, The Mercury News, 9 Sep. 2019 And whereas Snead might view the velocipede as a vehicle on which to multitask, a more cynical observer could find a metaphor here for the GM’s tenure. Greg Bishop, SI.com, 24 Oct. 2017 While there are competing claims for the first true motorcycle, this one is a Roper steam velocipede (or at least a very impressive re-creation). David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, 13 Apr. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for velocipede
Noun
  • Police finally managed to capture Phillips after laying down spikes for his quad bike to run over after he was suspected of a burglary at a commercial address in Piopio.
    Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Lighting is all-LED, but then again, that is more or less standard with most bikes these days.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Carlo is credited with healing a 4-year-old Brazilian boy who had a serious pancreatic malformation and a 21-year-old Costa Rican woman who was near death after a bicycle accident.
    Julia Gomez, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
  • One of the lightest teardrops meant to be pulled by cars (and not bicycles), the Kleox Shelter Travel debuted with a slightly unconventional form three years ago.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Velocipede.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/velocipede. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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