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penny-farthing

[pen-ee-fahr-th ing] /ˈpɛn iˌfɑr ðɪŋ/
noun, British.
1.
a high bicycle of an early type, with one large wheel in front and one small wheel behind.
Also called ordinary.
Origin of penny-farthing
from a comparison of the size difference between the two bicycle wheels to the size difference between an old British penny and a farthing
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018.
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British Dictionary definitions for penny-farthing

penny-farthing

noun
1.
(Brit) an early type of bicycle with a large front wheel and a small rear wheel, the pedals being attached to the front wheel US name ordinary
Word Origin
C20: so called because of the similarity between the relative sizes of the wheels and the relative sizes of the (old) penny and farthing coins
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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