bicycle
Valid in Scrabble
- Scrabble points
- 16
- Words With Friends
- 19
- Letters
- 7
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Definition of bicycle
12 senses · 2 parts of speech · etymology included
noun
-
A vehicle that has two primary wheels, one behind the other, a steering handle, and a saddle seat or seats and is usually propelled by the action of a rider’s feet upon pedals.
“In most English villages, as we are informed, bicycles are not allowed on the sidewalks; and the hand-books issued by English manufacturers of bicycles caution their customers that it is a forbidden practice, while in many places bells have to be attached to the bicycles even when ridden in the streets.”
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noun
-
A vehicle that has two primary wheels, one behind the other, a steering handle, and a saddle seat or seats and is usually propelled by the action of a rider’s feet upon pedals.
“In most English villages, as we are informed, bicycles are not allowed on the sidewalks; and the hand-books issued by English manufacturers of bicycles caution their customers that it is a forbidden practice, while in many places bells have to be attached to the bicycles even when ridden in the streets.”
-
(broadly, proscribed, sometimes)Any similar vehicle powered by human pedaling or steered with a handlebar, regardless of the number of wheels.
“The small, three-wheeled bicycle-type vehicle is probably the lowest-cost set of wheels for routine, in-park patrol use.”
- A traveling block used on a cable in skidding logs.
- The best possible hand in lowball.
- (Australia, British, New-Zealand)A motorbike.
-
(slang, vulgar)A slut; a promiscuous woman.
“‘What sort of bullying does this sergeant go in for?’ ‘Character assassination,’ she said in a matter-of-fact tone that belied the very real difficulties it was causing her. ‘There’s a lot of whispering about slags and tarts behind my back and sniggers whenever I appear. Half of the men seem to think I’m a dyke who needs curing, the other half think I’m the platoon bicycle. [...]’”
- A stabilizing technique in which one foot is pushed down while the other is pulled up.
- (slang)The wheel: either the lowest straight (A-2-3-4-5) or the best low hand in Lowball or High-low poker.
- A bicyclic molecule.
-
Two interconnected metabolic cycles.
“The fumarate produced in the argininosuccinase reaction is also an intermediate of the citric acid cycle. Thus, the cycles are, in principle, interconnected — in a process dubbed the “Krebs bicycle”.”
verb
-
(ambitransitive)To travel or exercise using a bicycle.
““At least it cannot be your health," said he, as his keen eyes darted over her; "so ardent a bicyclist must be full of energy.” […] “Yes, I bicycle a good deal, Mr. Holmes, and that has something to do with my visit to you to-day.””
-
(historical, transitive)To physically ship (a recorded programme) to another broadcasting entity.
““Bicycling” defeated the possibility of topicality, a prime production habit of the network-trained production executives staffing the new entity.”
“In turn, two-inch tapes of these could be “bicycled” from one place to another across the country, thereby altering and improving production economies.”
Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ Proto-Indo-European *dwís Proto-Italic *dwis Old Latin duis Latin bisder. French bi- Proto-Indo-European *kʷel- Proto-Indo-European *kʷékʷlos Ancient Greek κῠ́κλος (kŭ́klos)der. Late Latin cyclusder. Middle French French cycle…
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Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ Proto-Indo-European *dwís Proto-Italic *dwis Old Latin duis Latin bisder. French bi- Proto-Indo-European *kʷel- Proto-Indo-European *kʷékʷlos Ancient Greek κῠ́κλος (kŭ́klos)der. Late Latin cyclusder. Middle French French cycle French bicyclebor. English bicycle Borrowed from French bicycle (modern bicyclette), from bi- (“two”) + cycle (“cycle”). By surface analysis, bi- + cycle. First attested in English in 1868, and in French in 1847. (promiscuous woman): From double meaning of ride ("to transport oneself upon" vs. "to mount someone to have sex with them"). A communal bicycle would have many riders.
Words you can make from bicycle
24 playable · top: BEYLIC (13 pts)
Best play beylic 13 points6-letter words
1 word5-letter words
1 word4-letter words
4 words3-letter words
11 words2-letter words
6 wordsHooks
3 extensions · 3 back
A single letter you can add to bicycle to make another valid word.
Find your best play with bicycle
See every word you can make from a set of letters that includes bicycle, or browse word lists you can mine for high-scoring plays.