cyclist
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of cyclist
Explanation
If you ride a bicycle, you can call yourself a cyclist. It takes a lot longer for a cyclist to pedal up a hill than someone who's driving a car. Cyclist is short for bicyclist. Although you can use either word, cyclist has been more commonly used since the 1880s. Earlier, some people preferred to call bicycle riders "wheelmen" or "cyclers." You don't have to race in the Tour de France to be a cyclist; all you need is a two-wheeled vehicle that's propelled by pedaling, and a place to ride it!
Vocabulary lists containing cyclist
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cycl
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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.
The footage, which shows a blue BMW tailgating a cyclist in the bike lane, forcing the cyclist to hop the curb onto the sidewalk, has since gone viral on Fetzer’s Instagram page.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026
Christian Vande Velde, the former pro cyclist who works for NBC, enthused at the possibility.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026
The data is publicly available External link, and Tesla has reported 10 incidents, ranging from hitting other cars to hitting a cyclist.
From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026
Lyn Lepore:, external Australian tandem cyclist was a Paralympic champion in 2000.
From BBC • Dec. 18, 2025
“Whoa,” I yell as we speed through a roundabout, and I grab the handle as the driver swerves to miss a cyclist.
From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan
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.
