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bicycle kick

American  

noun

  1. an exercise performed by lying on one's back with the hips and legs in the air, supported by the hands, and moving the legs as if pedaling a bicycle.

  2. Soccer. a dramatic kick made by a player throwing both feet in the air as a ball is approaching on the fly, while moving the legs with a pedaling motion to kick the ball in the opposite direction to which the player is facing, with the player usually ending up sprawled on the ground.


Etymology

Origin of bicycle kick

First recorded in 1960–65

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.

Joao Palhinha's bicycle kick looked set to earn Frank a reprieve after first-half goals from Bournemouth duo Evanilson and Eli Junior Kroupi overturned Mathys Tel's early opener.

From Barron's

Mazraoui forced a good save from Pandor before El Kaabi, of Greek giants Olympiakos, lit up the occasion by meeting a cross in from the left by Anass Salah-Eddine with a magnificent overhead bicycle kick to make it 2-0.

From Barron's

Cristiano Ronaldo rolled back the years with a spectacular overhead bicycle kick for Saudi side Al Nassr in a 4-1 win.

From Barron's

It was Ronaldo's 954th career goal and was reminiscent of his bicycle kick for Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final against Juventus in 2018.

From BBC

As well as fan reactions, video edits of the goals, particularly McTominay's bicycle kick, have been widely shared on social media sites, including X as well as Instagram and TikTok.

From BBC