pulley

American  

[pool-ee] / ˈpʊl i /

noun

pulleys plural

1. a wheel, with a grooved rim for carrying a line, that turns in a frame or block and serves to change the direction of or to transmit force, as when one end of the line is pulled to raise a weight at the other end: one of the simple machines.

2. a combination of such wheels in a block, or of such wheels or blocks in a tackle, to increase the force applied.

3. a wheel driven by or driving a belt or the like, used to deliver force to a machine, another belt, etc., at a certain speed and torque.

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pulley British  

/ ˈpʊlɪ /

noun

1. a wheel with a grooved rim in which a rope, chain, or belt can run in order to change the direction or point of application of a force applied to the rope, etc

2. a number of such wheels pivoted in parallel in a block, used to raise heavy loads

3. a wheel with a flat, convex, or grooved rim mounted on a shaft and driven by or driving a belt passing around it

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pulley Scientific  

/ pl′ē /

1. A machine consisting of a wheel over which a pulled rope or chain runs to change the direction of the pull used for lifting a load. Combinations of two or more pulleys working together reduce the force needed to lift a load.

2. See also block and tackle

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pulleyless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• pulleys
  plural

Etymology

Origin of pulley

1275–1325; Middle English poley, puly < Middle French polie ≪ Medieval Greek *polídion little pivot, equivalent to pól ( os ) pole ² + -idion diminutive suffix

Explanation

A pulley is a basic device or machine made of a wheel with a rim that a cord or rope fits around. The wheel and axle of a pulley make it easier to lift heavy objects with the rope. Ships and sailboats use pulleys — though they're often called drums — to make raising the sails less difficult. Flagpoles also have pulleys for raising and lowering the flag, many garage doors work by a pulley system, and loading docks and constructions sites use pulleys for lifting heavy things. Pulley comes from the Old French polie, with a Greek root of polidion, or "little pivot."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pulley pulleys

I saw my patient had opened the door by using a pulley in his mouth.

From New York Times ● Jun. 19, 2024

They had watched the situation spiral as the protesters stood their ground, refusing to abandon Hamilton Hall and using a pulley system to bring supplies into the building they had occupied.

From Seattle Times ● May 1, 2024

A pulley, a bucket, a smartphone and an e-SIM: this is how a “network tree” is built in Gaza.

From Salon ● Mar. 21, 2024

A firefighter was lowered into the hole via rope and other equipment as other rescuers held onto a pulley system rigged up at the surface.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 8, 2024

Frank pulled the ladder down from the tree house with the pulley so they could climb in.

From "The Missing Mitt (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #2)" by Franklin W. Dixon

While contemporaries struggled with airborne instability, Wilbur and Orville Wright used a system of pulleys to warp their aircraft's fabric wings, allowing a pilot to bank and turn with greater ease.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026

His trips also revealed ornate loom pulleys and pottery, challenging stereotypes that African art is "limited to masks and figures", Oberhofer added.

From Barron's ● Jan. 16, 2026

The workers check and replace the large plastic bulbs on the long strings of lights and then use pulleys and hoists to hang and sometimes muscle those long strands of faceted lights onto the branches.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2025

The bears lived in a treehouse surrounded by innovative systems of rigs and pulleys.

From Salon ● Jan. 20, 2025

Multiple strings ran through a series of pulleys that looked like miniature steam-train wheels.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan