rider

American  

[rahy-der] / ˈraɪ dər /

noun

• riders
  plural

1. a person who rides a horse or other animal, a bicycle, etc.

2. something that rides.

3. an additional clause, usually unrelated to the main body, attached to a legislative bill in passing it.

4. an addition or amendment to a document, testament, etc.

5. any object or device that straddles, is mounted upon, or is attached to something else.

6. a rail or stake used to brace the corners in a snake fence.

7. Shipbuilding. any of various members following and reinforcing primary framing members, especially a plate or timber running along the top of a keel.

8. Numismatics.

   1. a former gold coin of Scotland, first issued by James III in 1475, whose obverse bears an equestrian figure of the king.

   2. any of several gold or silver coins of the Netherlands bearing the figure of a horseman.

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rider British  

/ ˈraɪdə /

noun

1. a person or thing that rides, esp a person who rides a horse, a bicycle, or a motorcycle

2. an additional clause, amendment, or stipulation added to a legal or other document, esp (in Britain) a legislative bill at its third reading

3. a statement made by a jury in addition to its verdict, such as a recommendation for mercy

4. any of various objects or devices resting on, surmounting, or strengthening something else

5. a small weight that can be slid along one arm of a chemical balance to make fine adjustments during weighing

6. geology a thin seam, esp of coal or mineral ore, overlying a thicker seam

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rider Cultural  

1. A provision, usually controversial and unlikely to pass on its own merits, that is attached to a popular bill in the hopes that it will “ride” to passage on the back of the popular bill.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• riderless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• riders
  plural

Etymology

Origin of rider

before 1100; Middle English ridere, Old English. See ride, -er ¹

Explanation

Riders are people who are in motion — riding bicycles, subways, horses, roller coasters and much more. Another kind of rider is a special list that attaches to, or "rides along" with, a contract. The noun rider means "one who rides," but its other meaning is "a document that is added to legal or official documents." On Capitol Hill, lawmakers add riders to legislation documents to try to get certain stipulations to be part of new laws. You may have heard of touring musicians who demand that certain rare flowers be placed in their hotel rooms, which must have Italian linen sheets on the bed, and be exactly 71 degrees. It's all in the rider of the tour contract.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rider riders

"Compared to imported ones like Kawasaki, it's very good value," said 28-year-old rider Yang, who owns an 820RR.

From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026

Li's team has grown to seven members working together to advertise online and to passersby, drive the bikes, and edit the footage, with each rider attracting around six to 12 customers a night.

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

It was revealed that in a majority of those crashes, the e-bike rider was at fault.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

By next summer it will be nearly a decade since a British rider has won the Tour.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

Whatever is happening, it’s enough to turn the sheriff’s expression stormy, as he sends the rider off with low-voiced instructions.

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

Pedestrians are also the second-largest group of road accident victims after two-wheeler riders.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

Meanwhile, active riders rose 17% year over year to 30.5 million, marking a record.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

More experienced riders should venture out into new areas, said Papas.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

The riders work for the Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District, the first mosquito-control program in the nation to launch a bicycle brigade, according to Ary Faraji, the district’s executive director.

From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026

Satyrs patrolled the fields, and riders on pegasi circled overhead, alert for aerial attacks.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• driver
• passenger
• traveler