pedal

[ ped-l or, for 6-8, peed-l ]
See synonyms for: pedalpedaledpedalingpedalled on Thesaurus.com

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.

  1. Music.

    • a foot-operated keyboard, as on an organ or harpsichord.

    • any of the keys of such a keyboard.

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.

  1. using pedals: a pedal mechanism.

Origin of pedal

1
1605–15; (<French pédale) <Latin pedālis of the feet. See ped-2, -al1

Words that may be confused with pedal

Words Nearby pedal

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use pedal in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pedal (1 of 2)

pedal1

/ (ˈpɛdəl) /


noun
    • 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

    • (as modifier): a pedal cycle; a pianist's pedal technique

verb-als, -alling or -alled or US -als, -aling or -aled
  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

  1. to work (pedals of any kind)

Origin of pedal

1
C17: from Latin pedālis; see pedal ²

British Dictionary definitions for pedal (2 of 2)

pedal2

/ (ˈpiːdəl) /


adjective
  1. of or relating to the foot or feet

Origin of pedal

2
C17: from Latin pedālis, from pēs foot

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with pedal

pedal

see soft pedal.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.