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Synonyms

scooter

1 American  
[skoo-ter] / ˈsku tər /

noun

  1. Also called kick scooter.  a child's vehicle that typically has two wheels with a low footboard between them, is steered by a handlebar, and is propelled by pushing one foot against the ground while resting the other on the footboard.

  2. Also called electric scooter.  Also called e-scooter.  a similar vehicle with or without a seat, propelled by a motor powered by rechargeable batteries.

  3. Also called motor scooter.  a lightweight motor vehicle similar to a motorcycle, having a saddlelike seat mounted over the engine and a footboard to rest the feet.

  4. (in the U.S. and Canada) a sailboat equipped with runners for use on ice.

  5. Pacific barracuda.

verb (used without object)

  1. to sail or travel in or on a scooter.

scooter 2 American  
[skoo-ter] / ˈsku tər /

noun

plural

scooters,

plural

scooter

  1. scoter.

scooter British  
/ ˈskuːtə /

noun

  1. a child's vehicle consisting of a low footboard on wheels, steered by handlebars. It is propelled by pushing one foot against the ground

  2. See motor scooter

  3. (in the US and Canada) another term for ice yacht

"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

Other Word Forms

  • scooterist noun

Etymology

Origin of scooter

First recorded in 1800–10; scoot + -er 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Video of the incident shows Islas leaning on a scooter in the middle of Alameda Street when the impact happens.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

But pedestrians were again venturing outdoors: a father walking with his daughter on a scooter, children playing with a ball, or locals sunning themselves in a park.

From Barron's • Mar. 7, 2026

“I love Dubai. And I have no fear,” said Abdul Halim, a delivery scooter driver from Bangladesh, just after an incoming missile warning alert sounded on his phone.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

"It looks like someone left it there, hopped off to whatever they were doing and never thought about the scooter again," he tells me with an exasperated sigh.

From BBC • Feb. 25, 2026

I throw on the jacket and dash out onto Forty-second Street, smacking straight into a pretzel cart and a woman with a stroller and a guy on a scooter and a couple other kids.

From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.