motorcycle

[ moh-ter-sahy-kuhl ]

/ ˈmoʊ tərˌsaɪ kəl /

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noun

a motor vehicle similar to a bicycle but usually larger and heavier, chiefly for one rider but sometimes having two saddles or an attached sidecar for passengers.

verb (used without object), mo·tor·cy·cled, mo·tor·cy·cling.

to ride on or operate a motorcycle.

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of motorcycle

An Americanism dating back to 1890–95; motor + cycle

OTHER WORDS FROM motorcycle

mo·tor·cy·clist

[moh-ter-sahy-klist], /ˈmoʊ tərˌsaɪ klɪst/, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use motorcycle in a sentence

Streetlights and passing cars and motorcycles lit the road, but a few meters away, the trees were dark.
On a cool night in Malaysia, scientists track mysterious colugos across the treetops|Yao-Hua Law|November 20, 2020|Science News
They shelled out more on a wide range of stuff—groceries, games, computers, cars, motorcycles, much else.
The U.S. economy is slowly beginning to climb out of its deep hole|Geoffrey Colvin|November 3, 2020|Fortune
Classified as a motorcycle, this three-wheeler looked like nothing else on the roads.
The 2020 Polaris Slingshot—still a conversation starter on three wheels|Jonathan M. Gitlin|October 22, 2020|Ars Technica
Unlike any pair of vintage motorcycle gloves, the tips of the thumb, index, and middle fingers of this pair are lined with touch screen-compatible tips to ensure sustained warmth while staying connected on the go without sacrificing esthetics.
Gloves that make excellent gifts for just about anybody|PopSci Commerce Team|October 17, 2020|Popular-Science

You can proudly display your neck tattoo at the motorcycle rally and still have clear skin in the courtroom.
Dynamic Tattoos Promise To Warn Wearers Of Health Threats|LGBTQ-Editor|September 27, 2020|No Straight News
The motorcyclist has since been discharged from hospital, while the taxi driver is in a 'stable' condition, the Mail reports.
Prince Harry's High Speed Crash Drama Prompts Terror Alert|Tom Sykes|September 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At one point he ended up chatting briefly with a motorcyclist in Alexandria.
Hunting Down Aribert Heim, Egypt’s Hidden Nazi|Nicholas Kulish, Souad Mekhennet|March 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Failed Motorcyclist “What are you doing out here on a motorcycle!?”
Hurricane Sandy’s Biggest Idiots: Jet Skiing on the Hudson & More (VIDEO)|Kevin Fallon|October 30, 2012|DAILY BEAST
So the motorcyclist proceeded to the unmanned checkpoint that the interpreter and I had breached.
Japan's Nuclear Ghost Towns|William T. Vollmann|May 2, 2011|DAILY BEAST
At the Babel of cries that rent the air the young motorcyclist looked up and his nostrils dilated with sudden purpose.
Bert Wilson's Twin Cylinder Racer|J. W. Duffield
There was a motorcyclist approaching who had conceivably felt sufficient interest in the long black car to follow it.
Diane of the Green Van|Leona Dalrymple
Certainly a motorcyclist would have no compunctions about it.
The Triumph of Virginia Dale|John Francis, Jr.
The motorcyclist returned the look with one of undisguised distrust.
The Triumph of Virginia Dale|John Francis, Jr.
But Walky thought the observation over, and seemed finally to realize that the motorcyclist was making sport of him.
Janice Day|Helen Beecher Long

British Dictionary definitions for motorcycle

motorcycle

/ (ˈməʊtəˌsaɪkəl) /

noun

Also called: motorbike a two-wheeled vehicle, having a stronger frame than a bicycle, that is driven by a petrol engine, usually with a capacity of between 125 cc and 1000 cc

verb (intr)

to ride on a motorcycle

Derived forms of motorcycle

motorcyclist, noun

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

motorcycle

Origin of motorcycle

OTHER WORDS FROM motorcycle

Words related to motorcycle

How to use motorcycle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for motorcycle

Derived forms of motorcycle