brake shoe

American  

noun

1. a rigid plate, usually of steel in the shape of an arc of a cylinder, coated on the outside of its curved surface with a friction-producing material and tightened against the inside of a brake drum to produce a braking action.

2. (on a bicycle) one of two metal blocks holding rubber pads that, when the hand brake is activated, press against the rotating wheel to produce a braking action.

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brake shoe British  

noun

1. the curved metal casting to which the brake lining is riveted in a drum brake

2. the curved metal casting together with the attached brake lining

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Etymology

Origin of brake shoe

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75

Example Sentences

Railroads use the devices to detect failing wheel bearings, brake shoe problems, side-to-side weight imbalances and wheelset defects, according to the U.S.

From Washington Post • Feb. 10, 2022

The Goldstream fire 30 miles west of Fairbanks was started by sparks from a train's hot brake shoe, and an artillery shell fired in military maneuvers is believed to have started the Salcha fire.

From Time Magazine Archive

Mrs. Shofner did not like the cut of the brake shoe, patented a better one, sold her tidy little business for $200,000 in 1937.

From Time Magazine Archive

Sean Hamblin also had a tough night, getting sucked into the back wheel of another rider's bike, where he became a human brake shoe until the rider finally stopped.

From Time Magazine Archive

"Looks like a brake shoe on the new-model hand-cars," he said, swinging it viciously with one hand.

From John Henry Smith A Humorous Romance of Outdoor Life by Adams, Frederick Upham