Foot-operated levers on machines like bicycles, pianos, or cars that you push to make something work.
From Latin 'pedalis' meaning 'of the foot,' derived from 'pes' meaning foot, the word entered English in the 1600s as mechanical inventions required foot-operated controls.
The piano's pedals are a genius invention that lets pianists create emotions through sound color—pressing the sustain pedal actually lifts the hammers away from strings, letting notes ring together in a blurred, dreamy way.
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