scooter
1 Americannoun
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Also called kick scooter. a child's vehicle that typically has two wheels with a low footboard between them, is steered by a handlebar, and is propelled by pushing one foot against the ground while resting the other on the footboard.
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Also called electric scooter, e-scooter. a similar vehicle with or without a seat, propelled by a motor powered by rechargeable batteries.
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Also called motor scooter. a lightweight motor vehicle similar to a motorcycle, having a saddlelike seat mounted over the engine and a footboard to rest the feet.
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(in the U.S. and Canada) a sailboat equipped with runners for use on ice.
verb (used without object)
noun
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scooters,
plural
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scooter
plural
noun
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a child's vehicle consisting of a low footboard on wheels, steered by handlebars. It is propelled by pushing one foot against the ground
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See motor scooter
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(in the US and Canada) another term for ice yacht
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of scooter
Explanation
A scooter is a small wheeled vehicle. A child's scooter has two wheels and is powered by pushing one foot against the ground. The word scooter covers a wide variety of vehicles. There's the kick scooter that you can use for rolling down the sidewalk, and the motor scooter that's essentially a lightweight, gas-powered motorcycle. Mobility scooters are used by people who need a little extra help getting around, either in the form of a wheeled walker that can be kneeled on, or a motorized wheelchair. The word scooter was originally shorthand for motor scooter.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He channeled one of those moto-pace training rides with Summer on her scooter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
This being Cartman, what he actually wants is an e-bike fast enough to function more or less like a motorized scooter.
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026
After World War II, the Soviets seized the Simson Works, before the complex eventually became a state-owned scooter manufacturer which retained the pre-war Simson brand name.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
Wright spoke to jurors from a mobility scooter as a result, he told them, of COVID.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
As the baby-blue scooter zipped through the streets of Rome, the goddess Rhea Silvia gave Annabeth a running commentary on how the city had changed over the centuries.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
Behind nondescript exteriors in Virginia’s “Data Center Alley,” some employees log up to 30,000 steps a day while others ride scooters down echoey hallways and sniff for overheating equipment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
“With autonomous operation, you push a button on a computer and the drone flies by itself,” said Tokushige, who previously manufactured electric scooters before founding Terra Drone in 2016.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
Since the 1990s, the relatively low cost of used Simson scooters, along with their stylish retro look and simple mechanics, have kept them a persistent favourite for tinkerers and hobbyists.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
Local volunteers have since helped transform the track into a 20+ mile long path for walkers, cyclists, wheelchair users and mobility scooters, with some sections also open to equestrians.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
They gave her a crib and lots of diapers and baby bottles for Adria; Barbie dolls and clothes for me; and cool stuff like backpacks and Razor scooters for Ashley and Tevin.
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
