brake shoe

noun

1. a rigid plate, usually of steel in the shape of an arc of a cylinder, coated on the outside of its curved surface with a friction-producing material and tightened against the inside of a brake drum to produce a braking action.
2. (on a bicycle) one of two metal blocks holding rubber pads that, when the hand brake is activated, press against the rotating wheel to produce a braking action. Compare caliper ( def 6 ).

brake shoe

noun

1. the curved metal casting to which the brake lining is riveted in a drum brake
2. the curved metal casting together with the attached brake lining

Word History and Origins

Origin of brake shoe¹

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75