peloton

¹ American  

[pel-uh-ton, pel-uh-ton, plaw-tawn] / ˈpɛl əˌtɒn, ˌpɛl əˈtɒn, plɔˈtɔ̃ /

noun

Cycling.

1. a large pack or cluster of bicyclists in a road race, riding closely together to reduce wind resistance and conserve their energy.

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peloton ² American  

[pel-uh-ton, pel-uh-ton, plaw-tawn] / ˈpɛl əˌtɒn, ˌpɛl əˈtɒn, plɔˈtɔ̃ /

noun

1. an ornamental glass made in Bohemia in the late 19th century, usually having a striated overlay of glass filaments in a different color.

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peloton British  

/ ˈpɛləˌtɒn /

noun

1. cycle racing the main field of riders in a road race

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Etymology

Origin of peloton¹

First recorded in 1935–40; from French: literally, “little ball (especially of thread), small body of soldiers”; see also platoon ( def. ), peloton ²

Origin of peloton²

First recorded in 1710–20; from French: literally, “ball, ball of string,” equivalent to pelote “ball” + -on diminutive suffix; see pellet, peloton ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

peloton

A five-man breakaway got up the road early on, but with 100km remaining the peloton started to reel them in.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

Plouffe, 27, who rides for British continental team O'Shea Red Chilli Bikes, said the incident happened on a roundabout as she was chasing back to the peloton, following a puncture on Wednesday.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

Eventually the rest of the Tour de France’s field—yes, the peloton, like the exercise bike you converted into a coat rack—would be tested in similar fashion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

Over the next 48 hours, the entire peloton was subjected to surprise tests in one of the largest sweeps in the recent history of the Tour de France.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

Telegraph to Morsbronn that the inspector of Imperial Police requires a peloton of mounted gendarmes at once.”

From The Maids of Paradise by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers