penny-farthing

American  

[pen-ee-fahr-thing] / ˈpɛn iˌfɑr ðɪŋ /

noun

British.

1. a high bicycle of an early type, with one large wheel in front and one small wheel behind.

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penny-farthing British  

noun

1. US name: ordinary.  an early type of bicycle with a large front wheel and a small rear wheel, the pedals being attached to the front wheel

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Etymology

Origin of penny-farthing

From a comparison of the size difference between the two bicycle wheels to the size difference between an old British penny and a farthing

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

penny-farthing

Still, that someone who dresses like a Victorian gentleman on a penny-farthing can wrap his head around digital currency speaks to the power of the past to inform the present.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026

There’s a QR code on the menu cover, in the space where you once gazed at an illustration of a Victorian gentleman posing with his penny-farthing.

From Washington Post ● May 23, 2022

Some feel threatened by the rising popularity of e-bikes, as though standard bikes will suddenly vanish like the penny-farthing once everyone goes electric.

From The Verge ● Oct. 10, 2019

Pride parade along Santa Monica Boulevard that featured colorful floats and people dancing, singing, walking on stilts and some riding penny-farthing bicycles and electric scooters.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2019

You were a year writing that story of yours, and you haven't had a penny-farthing for it yet.

From The Foolish Lovers by Ervine, St. John G. (St. John Greer)