motorcycle
Americannoun
verb (used without object)
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of motorcycle
Explanation
A motorcycle is a vehicle with two wheels, an engine, and no pedals. Don't forget to wear a helmet when you jump on your motorcycle! Like a bicycle, a motorcycle has two wheels, but while you power your bike by pedaling, a motorcycle's motor takes care of that. All you have to do is keep it full of gasoline. Motorcycles don't burn as much fuel as most cars, so they are a major form of transportation in many cities. Unfortunately, they're also much more dangerous. When motorcycles were invented in the 19th century, they were also sometimes called motocycles.
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:
Looking ahead, Harley-Davidson now expects global motorcycle retail sales of 133,500 to 138,500 units for the year, compared with a prior outlook of 130,000 to 135,000 units.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
The collision, between a blue Yamaha motorcycle and a blue Skoda Enyaq, happened on the Ballymena Road at about 13:40 BST on Friday.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
The driver successfully and momentarily evaded officers, who found his abandoned motorcycle, valued at $5,000, in a nearby alley, according to Buttitta.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
He and his stepfather arrived at the scene later in the day to retrieve the motorcycle, with police still in the area.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
Without his motorcycle, he felt mad at the whole world.
From "Ralph S. Mouse" by Beverly Cleary
The company said it expects to sell more motorcycles this year than it previously expected to, after reporting strong North American sales in the second quarter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Bikes without pedal assist, or those that can reach speeds higher than 28 mph are considered electric motorcycles and require a driver’s license and DMV registration.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
The Ventura County district attorney’s office noted that electric motorcycles differ from electric bikes because the former must abide by the same regulations as a traditional motorcycle rider.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
As the hours passed, some told the screaming families to be quiet, but their pleas were drowned out by the crowds and motorcycles.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
Plus, it must have been a little embarrassing that they were on really fast motorcycles and he was pedaling an adult tricycle.
From "Dead End in Norvelt" by Jack Gantos
She has traveled and lived around the world, crisscrossed South America and Indonesia on her own, motorcycled through Europe and Turkey.
From New York Times ● May 28, 2019
He studied art at a Christian college and motorcycled through Europe in his early 20s to, he said, “sleep in fields and eat yogurt.”
From New York Times ● Mar. 31, 2017
In 1908 he motorcycled from John O'Groats to Land's End.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2016
The soldier motorcycled in to see the artist.
From Time Magazine Archive
June 8… Norm and I went sailing; motorcycled to Loud Thunder.
From Through these Eyes The courageous struggle to find meaning in a life stressed with cancer by Isaacson, Lauren Ann
Starrs, a motorcycling novice, is emphasizing “joy and swagger.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026
More people walked up the dunes, including Dan Tauber, who said he’d been motorcycling around the area with friends before deciding to break off from the group to experience the launch.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2025
So I’m proclaiming this my summer of motorcycling on rice and beans.
From New York Times ● Jun. 17, 2023
And if you don’t feel like transporting yourself from home, the virtual Pacific Northwest Museum of Motorcycling is an online resource committed to documenting the history of motorcycling in the Northwest.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 16, 2023
Better equipment and facilities would be supplied for touring, motorcycling, mountaineering, skiing, and hiking.
From Area Handbook for Romania by Bernier, Donald W.
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.
