penny-farthing

American  

[pen-ee-fahr-thing] / ˈpɛn iˌfɑr ðɪŋ /

noun

British.

1. a high bicycle of an early type, with one large wheel in front and one small wheel behind.

---

penny-farthing British  

noun

1. US name: ordinary. an early type of bicycle with a large front wheel and a small rear wheel, the pedals being attached to the front wheel

---

Etymology

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

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

penny-farthing

One rode a penny-farthing big-wheel bike, another sat backward, turning to look over his shoulder every few seconds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026

Don’t let the name fool you: You don’t need a penny-farthing or other gigantic bike — rather, the giganticness comes from the sheer number of bikes.

From Seattle Times ● May 23, 2023

There’s a QR code on the menu cover, in the space where you once gazed at an illustration of a Victorian gentleman posing with his penny-farthing.

From Washington Post ● May 23, 2022

Some feel threatened by the rising popularity of e-bikes, as though standard bikes will suddenly vanish like the penny-farthing once everyone goes electric.

From The Verge ● Oct. 10, 2019

Among the entires of Great Britain there are many long-forgotten treasures, such as the penny-farthing postcard, the twopenny card, and the South Kensington Jubilee cards.

From Peeps at Postage Stamps by Stanley Currie Johnson

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---