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. Also called 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:
Wright spoke to jurors from a mobility scooter as a result, he told them, of COVID.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
"I don't like the fact that I use a mobility scooter but unfortunately I've been left with no choice."
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
The team also said he would undergo an MRI exam to “better understand the severity of the injuries sustained from the scooter accident.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
He can't tie his own shoelaces and his Vespa scooter strains to bear his weight - in one week, its wheels broke seven times.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
Whipping up the opposite sidewalk from behind the parked cars, it's a boy, and he's kicking along on a little silver scooter.
From "Things Not Seen" by Andrew Clements
Add in scooters, and fatalities stand at 20, up from 13 last year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
More recent numbers could be higher since high fuel prices have motivated many to use transit, bikes, e-bikes and scooters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
The spokesperson said the scheme was introduced to provide "a consistent, robust and safety-focused approach" to assessing whether mobility scooters could be safely taken on board Translink services.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
While many Chinese cities are dominated by electric scooters, which face fewer regulations, Chongqing has remained open to petrol-powered two-wheelers.
From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026
Its pavements are busy with mothers just like me, with dogs on leads and toddlers on scooters.
From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
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.
