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pulley
[ pool-ee ]
/ ˈpʊl i /
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noun, plural pul·leys.
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.
a combination of such wheels in a block, or of such wheels or blocks in a tackle, to increase the force applied.
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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Origin of pulley
1275–1325; Middle English poley, puly<Middle French polie ≪ Medieval Greek *polÃdion little pivot, equivalent to pól(os) pole2 + -idion diminutive suffix
OTHER WORDS FROM pulley
pul·ley·less, adjectiveWords nearby pulley
pullback, pull date, pulldown, pulled, pullet, pulley, pulley bone, pulley stile, pull hitter, pull-in, pulling boat
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use pulley in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for pulley
pulley
/ (ˈpʊlɪ) /
noun
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
a number of such wheels pivoted in parallel in a block, used to raise heavy loads
a wheel with a flat, convex, or grooved rim mounted on a shaft and driven by or driving a belt passing around it
Word Origin for pulley
C14 poley, from Old French polie, from Vulgar Latin polidium (unattested), apparently from Late Greek polidion (unattested) a little pole, from Greek polos axis
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Scientific definitions for pulley
pulley
[ pul′ē ]
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. See also block and tackle.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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