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

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

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

Unlike the penny-farthing, its predecessor with the absurdly oversize front wheel, the safety bicycle was fast and nimble, and bicycle racing soon surpassed competitive walking as a popular spectator sport.

From Washington Post • Mar. 20, 2015

Among the entires of Great Britain there are many long-forgotten treasures, such as the penny-farthing postcard, the twopenny card, and the South Kensington Jubilee cards.

From Peeps at Postage Stamps by Johnson, Stanley Currie