rider

American  

[rahy-der] / ˈraɪ dər /

noun

1. a person who rides a horse or other animal, a bicycle, etc.

2. something that rides.

3. an additional clause, usually unrelated to the main body, attached to a legislative bill in passing it.

4. an addition or amendment to a document, testament, etc.

5. any object or device that straddles, is mounted upon, or is attached to something else.

6. a rail or stake used to brace the corners in a snake fence.

7. Shipbuilding. any of various members following and reinforcing primary framing members, especially a plate or timber running along the top of a keel.

8. Numismatics.

   1. a former gold coin of Scotland, first issued by James III in 1475, whose obverse bears an equestrian figure of the king.

   2. any of several gold or silver coins of the Netherlands bearing the figure of a horseman.

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rider British  

/ ˈraɪdə /

noun

1. a person or thing that rides, esp a person who rides a horse, a bicycle, or a motorcycle

2. an additional clause, amendment, or stipulation added to a legal or other document, esp (in Britain) a legislative bill at its third reading

3. a statement made by a jury in addition to its verdict, such as a recommendation for mercy

4. any of various objects or devices resting on, surmounting, or strengthening something else

5. a small weight that can be slid along one arm of a chemical balance to make fine adjustments during weighing

6. geology a thin seam, esp of coal or mineral ore, overlying a thicker seam

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rider Cultural  

1. A provision, usually controversial and unlikely to pass on its own merits, that is attached to a popular bill in the hopes that it will “ride” to passage on the back of the popular bill.

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Other Word Forms

• riderless
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of rider

before 1100; Middle English ridere, Old English. See ride, -er ¹

Explanation

Riders are people who are in motion — riding bicycles, subways, horses, roller coasters and much more. Another kind of rider is a special list that attaches to, or "rides along" with, a contract. The noun rider means "one who rides," but its other meaning is "a document that is added to legal or official documents." On Capitol Hill, lawmakers add riders to legislation documents to try to get certain stipulations to be part of new laws. You may have heard of touring musicians who demand that certain rare flowers be placed in their hotel rooms, which must have Italian linen sheets on the bed, and be exactly 71 degrees. It's all in the rider of the tour contract.

Example Sentences

Even So Happy’s jockey, 60-year-old Mike Smith, who has more Derby experience than any other rider, including two wins, struggled to explain what a victory would mean.

From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2026

If Further Ado were to win the Derby, it would be with three-time Derby-winning jockey John Velazquez aboard—the same rider who was denied a fourth Derby victory when Medina Spirit was disqualified.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

Then there is Syed Haider Shah, whose son Adil - a pony rider and the family's sole breadwinner - was killed as he tried to shield tourists, guiding them away from the attackers.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

Any insurance policy would also have exclusions such as a rider cycling on the pavement.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Then, I heard the real reason for Rostam’s discomfort—the clip-clop sound of a horse and its rider, approaching from the darkness behind the inn.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

Related Words

• driver
• passenger
• traveler