pedal

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See also: pédal, pedál, Pedal, and pedał

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia
Animation of a Bicycle Pedal

Etymology

Borrowed from French pédale, Latin pedāl(is). By surface analysis, ped- +‎ -al.

Pronunciation

Noun

pedal (plural pedals)

  1. A lever operated by one's foot that is used to control or power a machine or mechanism, such as a bicycle or piano.
    There are three pedals on manual cars, two on automatics.
    A piano usually has two or three pedals.
    the pedal of a loom
    • 1996, Galen Crane, “Gear without Fear”, in Adirondack Life, volumes 27–28, Keene, N.Y.: Adirondack Life, →OCLC, page 4:
      Of the Adirondackers who make their homes here and then rarely use them—the outdoorsiest of the outdoorspeople—some climb mountains, others cliffs; some push pedals, other paddles; []
  2. (medicine) an orthopedic structure or a footlike part.
  3. (music) An effects unit, especially one designed to be activated by being stepped on.
  4. (equestrianism, humorous) A stirrup.
  5. (music) The ranks of pipes played from the pedal-board of an organ.
    A small organ commonly has only one or two ranks on the pedal.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

pedal (third-person singular simple present pedals, present participle (UK) pedalling or (US) pedaling, simple past and past participle (UK) pedalled or (US) pedaled)

  1. To operate a pedal attached to a wheel in a continuous circular motion.
    to pedal one's loom
  2. (intransitive) To operate a bicycle.
    He was out of breath from pedalling up the steep hill.
    • 1975 April 17, Jack Weatherly, “Dallas or Bust”, in The Courier News, volume 80, number 286, Blytheville, Ark., page 8, column 3:
      In the 1890’s “women were behind the stove,” he relates. But they cycled, too. “And they had difficulty pedalling bicycles with ankle-length skirts. “At the time,” Taylor said, “the most sinful thing a woman could do was to show light between her legs. “The original culotte was designed by a LAW member’s wife. The churches (in the East) termed this bepantsed female activity of biking “sinful bicycling,” he noted.
    • 2009, Dennis Bailey, Keith Gates, Bike Repair and Maintenance For Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN:
      Crucial to the crankset is the bottom bracket. Of all the bearings on a bike, the bottom bracket is the one that has to bear the heaviest load. Not only does the bottom bracket have to spin while you pedal, but it takes the force of all the twisting and turning that occurs during pedaling.
    • 2010 June, Wendelin Van Draanen, “Vinnie Gets Grilled”, in The Power Potion (The Gecko & Sticky), New York, N.Y.: Alfred A. Knopf, →ISBN, page 46:
      The old man's backside fizgigged with laughter. "See ya, kid!" he called as Dave pedaled away.
    • 2020 August 29, Jeremy Whittle, “Alexander Kristoff takes Tour de France yellow jersey after day of crashe”, in The Guardian:
      Pinot was among those involved in the huge pile-up just as the race entered the final three kilometres. Grazes were visible under his torn clothing as he pedalled, with a face like thunder, to the finish line.

Translations

Adjective

pedal (not comparable)

  1. Of or relating to the foot.

Coordinate terms

Translations

References

Anagrams

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin pedālis.

Pronunciation

Noun

pedal m (plural pedals)

  1. pedal (lever operated by one’s foot)

Derived terms

Further reading

Chavacano

Etymology

Inherited from Spanish pedal (pedal).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /peˈdal/,
  • Hyphenation: pe‧dal

Noun

pedal

  1. pedal

Galician

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin pedalis.

Pronunciation

Noun

pedal m (plural pedais)

  1. pedal
    Synonym: pegueira

References

Indonesian

Indonesian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia id

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Dutch pedaal, from French pédale, from Italian pedale, from Latin pedālis.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈpe.dal/
  • Rhymes: -dal
  • Hyphenation: pe‧dal

Noun

pedal

  1. pedal (a lever operated by one's foot that is used to control or power a machine or mechanism, such as a bicycle or piano)
Derived terms

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /pə.ˈdal/
  • Rhymes: -dal
  • Hyphenation: pê‧dal

Noun

pêdal

  1. Alternative form of empedal

Further reading

Norwegian Bokmål

Norwegian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia no

Etymology

From Latin pedalis.

Noun

pedal m (definite singular pedalen, indefinite plural pedaler, definite plural pedalene)

  1. a pedal

Derived terms

References

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Latin pedalis.

Noun

pedal m (definite singular pedalen, indefinite plural pedalar, definite plural pedalane)

  1. a pedal

Derived terms

References

Portuguese

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin pedālis.[1][2]

Pronunciation

 

  • Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw
  • Hyphenation: pe‧dal

Noun

pedal m (plural pedais)

  1. pedal (lever operated by one’s foot)

Derived terms

Adjective

pedal m or f (plural pedais, not comparable)

  1. Synonym of podal

References

  1. ^ pedal”, in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 20032024
  2. ^ pedal”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 20082024

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin pedālis.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /peˈdal/
  • Rhymes: -al
  • Syllabification: pe‧dal

Noun

pedal m (plural pedales)

  1. pedal (lever operated by one’s foot)
  2. (colloquial) drunkenness
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:borrachera

Derived terms

Further reading

Swedish

Noun

pedal c

  1. pedal; a lever operated by one's foot that is used to control a machine or mechanism, such as a bicycle or piano

Declension

Derived terms

Tagalog

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish pedal.

Pronunciation

Noun

pedál (Baybayin spelling ᜉᜒᜇᜎ᜔)

  1. pedal (foot lever)
  2. (music) pedal; effects unit

Further reading

  • pedal”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018