pedal

1 of 3

noun

ped·​al ˈpe-dᵊl 

plural pedals

1

a

: a lever pressed by the foot in the playing of a musical instrument (such as an organ or piano)

b

: an electronic device that is usually pressed by the foot and that alters or loops the sound of an amplified voice or musical instrument

a guitar pedal

an effects pedal

a wah-wah pedal

2

: a foot lever or treadle by which a part is activated in a mechanism

a bike's pedals

pedal

2 of 3

adjective

ped·​al

1

ˈpe-dᵊl 

 also  ˈpē-

: of or relating to the foot

2

ˈpe-dᵊl  : of, relating to, or involving a pedal

pedal

3 of 3

verb

ped·​al ˈpe-dᵊl 

pedaled also pedalled; pedaling also pedalling ˈpe-dᵊl-iŋ 

ˈped-liŋ

intransitive verb

1

: to ride a bicycle

2

: to use or work a pedal

transitive verb

: to work the pedals of

Examples of pedal in a Sentence

Verb

He was pedaling as fast as he could.

He pedaled down to the store.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Those vendors making self-driving cars are apt to rip out steering wheels and pedals, add all manner of sensors into and on top of the vehicle, and generally do a significant makeover on the car. —Lance Eliot, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024

Kansas City will always keep their foot on the pedal to make that happen. —Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 21 Oct. 2024

Adjective

Family-friendly fun with pedal cars, corn maze, mini golf, playsets, petting farm, ghost town village, trolley, disc golf, corn crib, foot golf, giant skee-ball and more. —Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 19 Sep. 2024

Along with paddle boarding, kayaking, scuba diving and snorkeling, new activities and features include clear-bottomed kayaks, sailing Hobie experiences, tandem kayaking, a catamaran, and pedal boarding. —Laurie Werner, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024

Verb

Just beyond the entrance, a student pedals a white stationary bicycle as curious onlookers stop to watch. —Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 7 Nov. 2024

These include pedaling a tricycle, walking up and down stairs one step at a time, and running and jumping more easily. —Alex Vance, Parents, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from Middle French pedalle "pedal of an organ," borrowed from Italian pedale, earlier, "base of a tree trunk," going back to Latin pedālis "one foot long" (as noun pedāle "footwear") — more at pedal entry 2

Adjective

borrowed from Latin pedālis "one foot long," from ped-, pēs "foot" + -ālis -al entry 1; (sense 2) from attributive use of pedal entry 1 — more at foot entry 1

Verb

derivative of pedal entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1618, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1883, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing pedal

• gas pedal
• pedal boat
• pedal bone
• pedal-note
• pedal point
• pedal pushers
• pedal steel
• pedal steel guitar
• put the pedal to the metal
• reverb pedal
• soft pedal

Kids Definition

pedal

1 of 2 noun

ped·​al ˈped-ᵊl 

: a lever (as on a piano, bicycle, or sewing machine) worked by the foot

pedal

2 of 2 verb

pedaled also pedalled; pedaling also pedalling

ˈped-ᵊl-iŋ,

-liŋ

1

: to use or work the pedals of something

2

: to ride a bicycle

Etymology

Noun

from early French pedale "a foot lever on an organ," from Italian pedale (same meaning), from Latin pedalis "of the foot," from ped-, pes "foot" — related to pedestrian

Medical Definition

pedal

adjective

ped·​al

ˈped-ᵊl also ˈpēd-

: of or relating to the foot