pedal

[ ped-l peed-l ]

noun

1. a foot-operated lever used to control certain mechanisms, as automobiles, or to play or modify the sounds of certain musical instruments, as pianos, organs, or harps.
2. a leverlike part worked by the foot to supply power in various mechanisms, as the bicycle.
3. Music.
   1. a foot-operated keyboard, as on an organ or harpsichord.
   2. any of the keys of such a keyboard.
   3. pedal point.

verb (used without object)

, ped·aled, ped·al·ing or (especially British) ped·alled, ped·al·ling.

1. to work or use the pedals, as in playing an organ or propelling a bicycle.

verb (used with object)

, ped·aled, ped·al·ing or (especially British) ped·alled, ped·al·ling.

1. to work the pedals of (an organ, bicycle, etc.).

adjective

1. of or relating to a foot or the feet.
2. of or relating to a pedal or pedals.
3. using pedals:

   a pedal mechanism.

pedal

¹

/ ˈpiːdəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the foot or feet

pedal

²

/ ˈpɛdəl /

noun

1. 1. any foot-operated lever or other device, esp one of the two levers that drive the chain wheel of a bicycle, the foot brake, clutch control, or accelerator of a car, one of the levers on an organ controlling deep bass notes, or one of the levers on a piano used to create a muted effect or sustain tone
   2. ( as modifier )

      a pianist's pedal technique

      a pedal cycle

verb

1. to propel (a bicycle, boat, etc) by operating the pedals
2. intr to operate the pedals of an organ, piano, etc, esp in a certain way
3. to work (pedals of any kind)

Word History and Origins

Origin of pedal¹

1605–15; (< French pédale ) < Latin pedālis of the feet. See ped- ², -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of pedal¹

C17: from Latin pedālis, from pēs foot

Origin of pedal²

C17: from Latin pedālis; see pedal ²

Idioms and Phrases

see soft pedal .

Example Sentences

I met Jane, and she had her foot on the gas pedal at 80.

From Los Angeles Times

You make it a 15-point gap and keep your foot on the pedal.

From BBC

Who knows, you might even glimpse Arnold Schwarzenegger or Owen Wilson pedal past you on a bike.

From Los Angeles Times

I pedaled slowly for the next few blocks, not watching for opening car doors, broken glass or potholes.

From Los Angeles Times

When Berry implored the band to rock out again, the group switched gears and made 1994’s “Monster,” in which Buck ditches his arpeggios for power chords run through a distortion pedal.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• perform
• work

More About Pedal

What does pedal mean?

A pedal is a foot-operated lever that controls some kind of mechanism. The most common kinds of pedals are those on a bicycle, the brake pedal and gas pedal (accelerator) in a car, and the pedals used in musical instruments like pianos and organs.

Pedal can also be a verb meaning to operate a pedal, as in You’d better pedal faster! In American English, the past tense is spelled pedaled and the continuous tense is spelled pedaling. In British English, as with many other words, the l is doubled: pedalled and pedalling.

Example: When I was a kid, I liked to pedal my bike as fast as I could and then take my feet off the pedals and watch them keep spinning.

Where does pedal come from?

The first records of pedal come from the 1600s. It comes from the Latin pedālis, meaning “of the feet,” from pēs, meaning “foot.” The root pēs and its variants ped- and pedi- give us a lot of words related to feet, such as pedestrian (someone who travels by foot) and pedicure.

There are a lot of different kinds of pedals, but they all have at least one thing in common—they’re made to be operated with the foot.

Most pedals are one of two types. Some are levers that are used to turn a wheel. The pedals on a bicycle power the chain wheel, which then turns the wheels.

Other types of pedals are more like switches: when pressed with the foot, they control another mechanism. The gas pedal in a car is called the gas pedal because it controls the amount of fuel that goes to the engine—the more fuel, the faster the car will go. In a piano, the pedals are used to sustain a tone or create a muted effect. In organs, they’re used to control deep bass tones. Foot-operated pedals can be hooked up to electric guitars to allow the player to change the quality of the sound. Sewing machines use a pedal to control how rapidly the needle moves up and down.

Pedal should not be confused with the verb peddle (meaning “to go from place to place to sell goods”), which is pronounced exactly the same, or the noun petal (as in a flower petal), which has almost the same pronunciation.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to pedal?

• pedaled (past tense verb, American English spelling)
• pedalled (past tense verb, British English spelling)
• pedaling (continuous tense verb, American English spelling)
• pedalling (continuous tense verb, British English spelling)

What are some words that share a root or word element with pedal? 

• pedestrian
• pedicure

What are some words that often get used in discussing pedal?

• foot
• bicycle
• gas
• brake
• accelerator
• piano
• organ
• guitar

What are some words pedal may be commonly confused with?

• peddle
• petal

How is pedal used in real life?

Pedal is a common word and a common thing—there are all kinds of pedals that we use to operate things with our feet.

@smartereveryday Destin, I took apart my piano just so you could learn how a pedal works. pic.twitter.com/1paxSfaijO

— Aaron Ott (@steinway88) January 20, 2020

jack white just sent me some guitar pedals and a selection of vinyls from @thirdmanrecords .
his note encouraged me to stay inspired.
one of the cooler things to happen to me through music.

— tyler jøseph (@tylerrjoseph) January 22, 2020

Gotta fly! If I don't find my car keys, I may have to get out Abigail's pink bike and pedal to my appointments! Or, Matt's longboard. ;-)

— Marie Osmond (@marieosmond) April 30, 2010

 

 

Try using pedal!

Is pedal used correctly in the following sentence?

When you’re coasting downhill, you should keep your foot on the brake pedal.