tricycle

[ trahy-si-kuhl, -sik-uhl ]

/ ˈtraɪ sɪ kəl, -ˌsɪk əl /

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noun

a vehicle, especially one for children, having one large front wheel and two small rear wheels, propelled by foot pedals.

a velocipede with three wheels propelled by pedals or hand levers.

a three-wheeled motorcycle.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of tricycle

From French, dating back to 1820–30; see origin at tri-, cycle

Words nearby tricycle

trictrac, tricuspid, tricuspidate, tricuspid valve, tricyanic acid, tricycle, tricyclic, trid., Tridacna, tridactyl, tridarn cupboard

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use tricycle in a sentence

She once skittered around the sales floor of the Mercury offices on a motorized tricycle, waving to team employees.
Brittney Griner's Fight for Freedom|Sean Gregory|July 27, 2022|Time
With six modes, from stroller to tricycle, parents can adjust this three-wheeler as a toddler gets older.
Fun holiday gifts for car fans|Joe Phillips|November 19, 2021|Washington Blade
Tricycles are typically ridden by athletes who can use their legs but have balance issues that prevent them from using bikes.
Para-Athletes Use Some of the Most Innovative Gear We’ve Seen|agintzler|September 10, 2021|Outside Online
A Jewish film festival has backed out of the Tricycle Theater after the venue refused to accept money from the Israeli government.
London Theater Halts Jewish Film Festival Over Israeli Government Money|Nico Hines|August 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST

An overturned tricycle lays feet away as an ominous sky lingers in the background.
Garry Winogrand’s American Hustle Comes To The Met|Justin Jones|June 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On Tuesday a pink tricycle stood in front of a home turned to wreckage.
Oklahoma Tornado Devastation: What the Twister Left Behind|Michael Daly|May 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The filmmakers were shooting their moving target from an adult-size tricycle jury-rigged for the occasion.
Knowing Bill Cunningham|Philip Gefter|March 22, 2010|DAILY BEAST
The next feature in the programme was that a tiger should ride round the circus on a tricycle.
McClure's Magazine, Vol. 1, No. 2, July, 1893|Various
At that moment an errand-boy was slowly propelling a carrier tricycle along by the kerb.
The Harmsworth Magazine, Vol. 1, 1898-1899, No. 6|Various
Bolée's tandem tricycle was the sensation during the first stage, averaging twenty miles an hour.
The Automobilist Abroad|M. F. (Milburg Francisco) Mansfield
They went through, and he was lucky enough to locate a broken-down tricycle cab.
Police Your Planet|Lester del Rey
Anyhow, he got on his tricycle, and started for a ride into the country.
The Youth of Parnassus and Other Stories|Logan Pearsall Smith

British Dictionary definitions for tricycle

tricycle

/ (ˈtraɪsɪkəl) /

noun

a three-wheeled cycle, esp one driven by pedals

a three-wheeler for invalids

verb

(intr) to ride a tricycle

Derived forms of tricycle

tricyclist, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012