bicycle
Americannoun
-
bicycles
plural
verb (used without object)
-
bicycles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
bicycled,
past participle, past
-
bicycling
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
bicycles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
bicycled,
past participle, past
-
bicycling
present participle
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
bicyclesimple
-
bicyclessimple
-
have bicycledperfect
-
has bicycledperfect
-
am bicyclingprogressive
-
are bicyclingprogressive
-
is bicyclingprogressive
-
have been bicyclingperfect progressive
-
has been bicyclingperfect progressive
Past
-
bicycledsimple
-
had bicycledperfect
-
was bicyclingprogressive
-
were bicyclingprogressive
-
had been bicyclingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of bicycle
From French, dating back to 1865–70; see origin at bi- 1, cycle
Explanation
A bicycle is a two-wheeled vehicle that's propelled by foot pedals and steered with handlebars. They say you never forget how to ride a bicycle once you learn. When you travel to places like Amsterdam and Beijing you'll see people of all ages using bicycles as their major form of transportation. The word bicycle is also a verb, as in "I think I'll bicycle over to the bakery and buy some muffins." The word bicycle was coined in the 19th century from a combination of the Greek bi, or "two," and kyklos, "wheel."
Vocabulary lists containing bicycle
List 5
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bi-
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Spelling Practice, Unit 7
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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.
See Examples For:
"I just lived my life in it, and I went on my bicycle and shopping and what not. And people really liked it," he told AFP.
From Barron's ● Oct. 3, 2026
There they were, the happy, four-wheeled couple: Summer on a scooter, cutting through the wind, Brandon tucked behind her on his Colnago bicycle, grinding until his quads were aflame.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
Half of that money came from Aaron Sosnick, a Reno-based hedge fund manager who has been pushing for the city to expand its network of bus and bicycle lanes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
Gardening, riding a stationary bicycle, and enjoying other favorite activities all involve far less pain.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026
The tires on my faithful old bicycle had finally given out and I had joined the hundreds clattering about town on metal wheel rims.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
The auction features Pee-wee’s iconic gray suit and other costumes, red Schwinn bicycles, dolls, puppets, claymation figures, scripts and more.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
"I've brought over the man who repairs bicycles in Wolvercote, people who repair sewing, people who do computers, who sharpen knives."
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
Also among the top four are the Greens, who dominate in hip inner-city areas known for trendy cafes, organic supermarkets and cargo bicycles.
From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026
But the familiar grids of bicycles and traffic lights haven’t disappeared—at least not yet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
Because so many houses are being searched for hidden bicycles, Mr. Kugler thought it would be better to have a bookcase built in front of the entrance to our hiding place.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
We have seen many candidates in the 32 states we’ve bicycled through in the past five years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 6, 2026
Mamdani and Brad Lander appeared together on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and bicycled to joint events in all corners of the city.
From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2025
During World War II, as a girl, she had bicycled across Amsterdam, delivering coded messages for her sister, a nurse in the resistance.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 4, 2023
Oregon lawmakers in 2019 established a unique Tri-Met Crash Advisory Committee at the prodding of Darla Sturdy, whose 16-year-old son was fatally hit in 2003 by a train as he bicycled in suburban Gresham.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 19, 2022
Nicole slowly bicycled her legs out in front of her.
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
Harstine, 70, a semiretired orchard packer, said he has noticed Hispanic men bicycling through the area.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 17, 2025
Well, bicycling is one of the most tangible ways of explaining democracy.
From Salon ● Apr. 18, 2024
We see Hirayama after his shift too: bicycling at twilight, scrubbing down at a bathhouse, grabbing dinner at a favorite spot, then reading before bed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 8, 2024
Examples of light physical activity are long walks, house chores, slow dancing, slow swimming, and slow bicycling.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 21, 2023
She had been bicycling through the air, ice cream in her hand and a book floating in front of her face.
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
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.
