Bicycle

/ˈbaɪsɪkəl/ noun

Definition

A bicycle is a vehicle with two wheels that you sit on and move by pushing pedals with your feet. It is often used for exercise, travel, and fun.

Etymology

From “bi-” meaning “two” and Greek “kyklos” meaning “wheel.” The word replaced earlier terms like “velocipede” as bicycles became common.

Kelly Says

A bicycle is a simple machine that turns your up-and-down leg power into smooth circular motion. Once you’re moving, physics keeps you balanced—your brain mostly just makes tiny steering corrections.

Translations

AMአማርኛ
ብስክሌት
ARالعربية
دراجة
BNবাংলা
সাইকেল
CSČeština
kolo
DADansk
cykel
DEDeutsch
Fahrrad
ELΕλληνικά
ποδήλατο
ESEspañol
bicicleta
FAفارسی
دوچرخه
FISuomi
polkupyörä
FRFrançais
bicyclette
GUGU
સાયકલ
HAHA
keke
HEעברית
אופניים
HIहिन्दी
साइकिल
HUMagyar
kerékpár
IDBahasa Indonesia
sepeda
IGIG
igwe kwụ otu ebe
ITItaliano
bicicletta
JA日本語
自転車
KKKK
велосипед
KMKM
កង់
KO한국어
자전거
MRMR
सायकल
MSBahasa Melayu
basikal
MYမြန်မာ
စက်ဘီး
NLNederlands
fiets
NONorsk
sykkel
PAPA
ਸਾਈਕਲ
PLPolski
rower
PTPortuguês
bicicleta
RORomână
bicicletă
RUРусский
велосипед
SVSvenska
cykel
SWKiswahili
baiskeli
TAதமிழ்
மிதிவண்டி
TEతెలుగు
సైకిల్
THไทย
จักรยาน
TLTL
bisikleta
TRTürkçe
bisiklet
UKУкраїнська
велосипед
URاردو
سائیکل
VITiếng Việt
xe đạp
YOYO
kẹ̀kẹ́
ZH中文
自行车
ZUZU
ibhayisikili

Ethical Language Guidance

Gender History

Bicycles played a notable role in women’s emancipation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, offering new mobility and prompting debates about women’s clothing and behavior. Despite this, cycling culture and industry later became male-dominated in many regions.

Inclusive Usage

Use “bicycle” and “cyclist” as gender-neutral terms, and avoid assuming riders or mechanics are male. When discussing cycling history, acknowledge its role in women’s mobility and rights.

Inclusive Alternatives

["bike","cycle"]

Empowerment Note

Women cyclists were central to early feminist movements, using bicycles to challenge restrictive dress codes and limited mobility.

Related Words

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