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
  • There will be free bike valet service near the Jibboom Street entrance.
    Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2025
  • The Inland Rail Trail is a 21-mile bike path that is 8 to 10 feet wide with a 2-foot-wide unpaved shoulder and barriers separating the trail from motor vehicles.
    Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Jornet’s adventure, dubbed States of Elevation, involves climbing all the 14,000-foot peaks in the Lower 48 and traveling between them by foot and bicycle.
    Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Police interviewed two children who were riding bicycles behind the house.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Velocipede.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/velocipede. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

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