gear lever

American

noun

British.

gearshift.

gear lever British

/ ˈɡɪəˌʃɪft /

noun

a lever used to move gearwheels relative to each other, esp in a motor vehicle

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of gear lever

First recorded in 1900–05

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 interiors are outfitted just like 007’s car with a radar screen, switch panel for all of its special features and an ejector seat button hidden in the gear lever – but no ejector seat.

From Fox News

A Porsche spokesman said the cars might roll when parked due to a potentially fragile part in the connection between the gear lever and transmission.

From Reuters

PC Andy Monaghan said he had "never seen anything like it" and the man risked "seriously injuring someone" after his visibility and access to the gear lever was blocked.

From BBC

He grabbed the gear lever and rammed it into low.

From Literature

There's no steering wheel, gear lever or handbrake, just a stop/go button which you could probably press with your nose.

From The Guardian

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023