bike
1 Americannoun
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a colony, nest, or swarm of wild bees, wasps, or hornets.
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a teeming crowd; swarm of people.
noun
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informal short for bicycle motorcycle
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slang away you go
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slang to lose one's self-control
noun
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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bikesimple
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bikessimple
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have bikedperfect
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has bikedperfect
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am bikingprogressive
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are bikingprogressive
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is bikingprogressive
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have been bikingperfect progressive
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has been bikingperfect progressive
Past
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bikedsimple
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had bikedperfect
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was bikingprogressive
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were bikingprogressive
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had been bikingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of bike1
1880–85, alteration of bicycle
Origin of bike2
1250–1300; Middle English, equivalent to *bi bee (< Old Norse bȳ bee 1 ) + *yeke, Old English gēoc help, safety
Explanation
A bike is a pedal-powered two-wheeled vehicle. If you don't have time to walk to work, you might decide to ride your bike instead. Bike is shorthand for a bicycle or a motorbike. A bike enthusiast might keep a bike rack on her car and a bike helmet in her trunk at all times. Bike is also a verb, so you could say: "I'll bike over to the movie theater — meet you there in fifteen minutes!" This word, as a nickname for bicycle, first appeared in American English in 1882. It came to mean "motorcycle" about 50 years later.
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:
Two-thirds of that money has come from hedge fund manager Aaron Sosnick, who has been pressing city leaders on the expansion of bike lanes and bus lanes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
I came in fourth out of four men aged 30-39—in other words, LAST—despite strong showings on the air bike and in an emotional-skills test where you gauge the expressions of faces on a screen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Peden told the inquest he had purchased the bike online for £900 and it was in "perfect working order", apart from an incident where he lost the key on a fairground ride.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
The plan aims to "calm" traffic on these streets with wider pavements and more bike racks, according to the resolution adopted by the municipal council.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
I drag my bike and backpack out of the road as more trucks come barreling toward me.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
Severinov, giving evidence through an interpreter, said he was repairing bikes and e-bikes.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
I’ve repaired our fridge, dishwasher, vacuum, toaster, sewing machine and bikes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Free help with repairing bikes, electrical items, computers and clothes is coming to an Oxford neighbourhood.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
Eduardo Metzker, 29, was riding his motorcycle in Rio de Janeiro when he was suddenly boxed in by two other bikes.
From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026
We let the conversation die off and pedaled our bikes back to the house in silence.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
Within hours, papers would be biked around to investors' homes for signing, which allowed the business to drain their funds.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
A few weeks ago, I biked to meet a source for coffee, since my Android phone’s AccuWeather widget had seemingly projected a low, low chance of precipitation in the area.
From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026
I ran, swam, biked, worked, showered and slept with the Cirqa over the past few weeks, and was impressed by its value.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
I was moving without my car, so I would naturally become someone who walked, biked and took the train more.
From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026
I slapped every parking meter with my palm, as we biked past Front Beach.
From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen
It’s also close proximity to some of Boston’s most scenic walking and biking paths, and a water taxi providing transportation to Logan Airport and other local attractions.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026
Here’s what’s new and how to experience all the islands’ wonders, whether biking through untouched jungles, interacting with local wildlife or setting sail on the region’s first superyacht.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Joanne Flickinger sued Schwarzenegger for negligent driving which she claimed led to the biking accident that landed her with hefty medical bills.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
Like Buttigieg, he has made biking a part of his public image, even riding with a group of school kids in Brooklyn earlier this year.
From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026
They won’t look at me twice—what, it’s illegal, a kid biking over a bridge?
From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini
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