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

The 27-year-old’s subtly transfixing debut, Two Star & the Dream Police, released in February, manages to accomplish a remarkable fusion of sonic and emotional textures all while using very little — just a guitar and a few pedals. —Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 17 May 2024

Color Guard, talk by Dr. Richard Davis, Civil War Historian, wreath presentation, taps and the historic scattering of rose pedals on graves in the Civil War section. —Allison Kiehl, The Enquirer, 15 May 2024

Adjective

Bicyclists may ride a Class I e-Bike, which has a motor that provides pedal assistance only when the rider is pedaling and ceases to provide assistance at 20 mph. —Phoebe Wall Howard, Detroit Free Press, 9 May 2024

The response has been pedal to the metal since the USDA announced on March 25 that a strange illness that had been affecting milk production in some herds since early this year was caused by bird flu. —Helen Branswell, STAT, 3 May 2024

Verb

Over the past few decades, volunteers, one at a time, have entered a small chamber in a lab at the University of North Carolina and either pedaled on a stationary bike or sat quietly while components of diesel exhaust or smoke from burning wood were pumped into the room. —Linda Carroll, TIME, 30 May 2024

In Hermosa Beach, e-bikes must be pedaled manually, and there’s a speed limit of eight miles per hour. —Laura Randall, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 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